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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29709594">The Big Not So Easy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jawnslulluby21/pseuds/jawnslulluby21'>jawnslulluby21</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:35:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29709594</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jawnslulluby21/pseuds/jawnslulluby21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Commander Steve McGarrett and Detective Danny Williams are assigned to act as an undercover couple in New Orleans to investigate a series of unusual deaths related to a Hawaiian artifact, they get more than they bargained for! Laisse Rouler Le Bon Temps!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have had this idea for a while and decided to write it out. Thanks to my chumley. You know who you are.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny studied the New Orleans city map.<br/>He had purchased one through Amazon since none of the bookstores around the Islands had any, though not surprising. Hawaii owned her own charm, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to share that charm with the Big Easy. </p><p>He and Steve had been home from their New Zealand escapades for almost a month now, which was long enough for Danny’s fingers to heal and for the dreams about Hollis to become less intense. Danny was even sleeping a bit over 5 hours a night, which he considered a win win at this point in his life.  <br/>As promised, Steve and Danny had spoiled Grace, taking her out to the movies, to lunches and breakfasts and, to the 9 year old’s amazement, surf lessons from Kono.! On the latter, Rachel had been reticent and totally uncompromising at first but Danny had worked at wearing her down until<br/>Rachel reluctantly signed the permission papers.  It was something Grace really truly wanted to do and Danny wasn’t going to deny his daughter anything, especially since, in Danny’s mind, he had almost not had a chance to watch her grow up and spend time with her.</p><p>Of course, there also was the pressing matter of Rachel’s pregnancy. At 8 months, she had insisted that  Danny was the Father but in the end, Danny had elected to stay with an injured Steve rather than go to New Jersey with Rachel and Grace.  On the day Rachel returned with Grace, Rachel had made a huge point of telling Danny that he was not the father and she had run back to Stan. And Danny knew... he just somehow KNEW Rachel was lying and the kid was indeed his though Danny couldn’t prove it without causing additional hurt feelings.  But those feelings aside, Danny had reconciled with Rachel to the point of civility so they could continue to give their daughter the best life possible.  Rachel was not affectionate any more towards Danny and he no longer toward her so it was a mutual understanding with both Dad and Mom. </p><p>In retrospect, though, if Danny were to think about it (and he did ... plenty) the  fact was Danny had chosen Steve over his own ex wife. She was hurt and told him so, through her actions mostly and her curt replies to any questions he asked her. Gone were the loving advances and kind words, replaced with snark.</p><p>Steve had been by Danny’s side the whole debacle, never attempting to get in the middle of them but his presence was solid and Danny appreciated that.  <br/>Much to Danny’s surprise, he was the one who coached Rachel through the birth of her son, filling in for an absent Stan.  When Stan showed up  at the hospital after the baby, a boy named Charlie, had been safely tucked into his swaddling onesie and was put on display in the nursery, Danny left, went home and cracked open a bottle of good scotch whiskey he’d been saving. Steve had dropped by,  knowing Danny was hurting inside, and helped Danny drink half the bottle, neither of them saying anything but letting the silence speak for itself. </p><p>Even now at this very minute, Danny wasn’t completely over that night. To have gone through an act of  labor, see the baby being born, and feeling the immense bond with Rachel as he held her hand was too much to bear but somehow through it all, Danny had  remained upright. </p><p>Danny’s intense reverie was interrupted by way of Chin Ho who was bustling through the doors of their  HQ.  His handsome face was relaxed and open and he carried a bakery box in one hand and a tray of coffees in the other. Danny had skipped breakfast; the coffee aroma made him remember just how much he needed a daily caffeine jolt. <br/>“Howzit,” Chin said with a smile. He placed both box and tray on an adjacent table and rubbed his hands together getting rid of the moisture from the outside humidity.<br/>“If you are indeed asking me how it’s going,” Danny said with a rock forward, “then I’ll say I have no idea what the hell I’m doing staring at a street map of New Orleans .”</p><p>“That’s not good, brah.” Chin looked around. “Where’s Kono and Steve?”<br/>“Uh they are in the Rendition Room questioning a suspect in that yacht hijacking.” <br/>“Huh. Well I don’t suppose you know if they got  all of the the answers they wanted?” Chin asked. <br/>At that Danny shrugged and took a coffee and some individual creamers and sugar packets. <br/>“They’ve been down there since before you left,” Danny muttered. He fixed up the cup of coffee with the creamer and sugar, stirred it and recapped the cup. Only then did he take a big drink of it, eyes fluttering with contentment. </p><p>“So you guys are going to New Orleans ?” Chin asked. <br/>Danny pulled a pained face and took another sip of his coffee. <br/>“Yeah. Seems we don’t have enough crimes to solve here. We gotta go looking for them elsewhere.”<br/>“Just think though,” Chin said, winking at Danny, “you’ll come back with a new appreciation for beignets.”<br/>“I don’t know what those are,” Danny muttered. He was saved further joking from Chin by Steve and Kono returning. Steve opened the glass door for Kono who scooted in ahead of the tall Commander. </p><p>“Oooo Chin!” Kono squealed. “Look at you! Send you on an errand and you bring us much needed goodies!” She grabbed a cup of coffee and some sugar packets then started to dig around in the pastry box. <br/>“From ass kicking vixen to sweet eating adorableness....” Steve muttered. <br/>“I heard that, Commander,” Kono laughed, dimples deep on her pretty face. <br/>“Were you successful, Steve? Did Conroe talk?” Danny asked. </p><p>“Oh yeah. We’ve got some arrests to make before we go to New Orleans.” Steve gave Danny a sideways look. “Did you find the street of house we’re renting on that map of yours?”<br/>“No” Danny said, running a hand over his hair. “I haven’t found the street yet but give me time.”<br/>“Use the index thing,” Steve said, attempting to pick up the map from the computer table where Danny had left it.<br/>“Oh no!” Danny was quicker and swooped up the map before Steve could look at it. Steve affected a hurt look as Danny tucked the map into his back pocket. “This is my job. You know when we get there I’m driving the rental car.”<br/>“We’ll see about that,” Steve answered. He pretended to stretch and yawn, extending his arms up so his tee shirt pulled showing a small sliver of tanned taut tummy.  “Especially since the reservations will be in my pseudo name.”</p><p>Suddenly, like a panther, Steve pounced and grabbed the map deftly out of Danny’s pocket. Danny was just a split second too late to retrieve it.<br/>“Animal,” Danny mumbled. He was about 30 percent pissed and 70 percent apathetic but that didn’t mean his partner had to steal the map. “I bought that.”<br/>“I’m not going to destroy it, Daniel. Don’t get so worked up,” Steve teased. His eyes flitted over the approaching figure of Danny and Steve could see no heat in those beautiful eyes. <br/>“Well,” Danny sighed, waving a hand as he stepped around where Steve had opened the map on the table, “you figure out where <br/>941 St. Ann Street is.”</p><p>“Is that where you guys are going to be staying?” Kono asked.<br/>“I guess,” Danny sighed. He was now standing beside Steve and looking over the map. “Undercover no less.”<br/>“You guys fight like a married couple so there shouldn’t be much acting involved,” Kono giggled.</p><p>Danny looked up with irritation evident on his face but before he could say anything, Steve’s phone rang. When he answered it, it was plain that Dispatch was about to send them out on another case. Map forgotten, the team rallied to get ready for another attempt at halting crime.</p><p> </p><p>Danny woke up with a start. He was unsure where he was for a moment, thoughts centered around a particular cabin on a particular island. He took a deep breath and swung his shaky legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. Damn that had been so real! Danny half expected to see the old table and chairs where he and Steve had eaten their meals, but as he blinked, the confines of his efficiency apartment had materialized and he figured out he was home.</p><p>He looked for his phone and saw it laying on the end table, screen lit up. Thinking he’d missed a call, Danny picked  it up and squinted to see the name and number but it was a text, not a call. <br/>From Steve.<br/>&gt;&gt;Danny? You there?&lt;&lt;<br/>Danny pushed his errant locks of hair back and tucked some behind one ear. With a practiced thumb, he pushed TEXT and answered Steve’s message.<br/>&gt;&gt;What’s up?&lt;&lt;</p><p>There was a long moment where Danny got no reply and he started to wonder if he’d made a mistake replying.<br/> &gt;&gt;Bad dream. Nothing. Sry go 2 sleep&lt;&lt;<br/>Danny sat for a long moment, turning the phone over and over in his hands. It wasn’t like Steve to text especially at night. Within seconds, Danny had made his decision and was dressed and out the door, car keys in hand.</p><p>Steve paced in the kitchen, doors to the lanai open to let the cooling ocean breezes caress his feverish body. Sweat dripped off his forehead and ran in little rivulets down his face and gathered in moisture beads on his upper lip.  The dream. The dream had seemed so real but like all of the others before it and probably after it, this one wasn’t and likely would never be real.<br/>But it had been so very intense.<br/>Steve stopped pacing to pause at the sink to pour himself a glass of water. As he raised the tumbler to his lips, Steve saw how much his hand was shaking. Dammit! </p><p>Hollis had joined the queue of Steve’s many dreams, along with Freddie and Steve’s Dad and the Hesse brothers.  Steve had experienced the feeling, the absolute unforgiving truth that Hollis was still alive and lurking just out of reach of Steve’s waking state.  Just the image of that snarling feral face with huge teeth and the claws on Hollis’ fingers sent Steve to the sink once more, unsure if a good vomit would be beneficial. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm his breathing.</p><p>Suddenly someone was at the front door. Steve found the gun he kept in the cupboard where the dinner plates were stored and crouched down on one knee. Whoever it was, he or she was going to get a big surprise walking into the kitchen!  Steve’s thoughts flitted briefly to Victor Hesse and then wildly skittered to Hollis. Could vampires come back to life after getting their heads cut off? </p><p>“Steve?”<br/>That voice. Steve knew that voice. <br/>“Danny?” He responded then shook his head. It had to be a trick! Danny was at his own apartment. Danny couldn’t be here. </p><p>“Yeah Babe where you at?” <br/>Danny crept cautiously, his senses on full alert. <br/>He had no idea if Steve was having one of his flashbacks or was in trouble; either way, he knew he needed to be careful.<br/>“Steve? It’s me, Danny. I got your text. You ok?”</p><p>Steve sighed and relaxed, gun now pointing at the floor. If the small figure in front of him wasn’t Danny then Steve was fucked. But it looked and talked like Danny. Though Steve did not remember sending a text.<br/>“D-Danny?” Steve asked. <br/>Danny got on his knees and reached out cautiously to place his hands on Steve’s shoulders. <br/>“Yeah Babe. I’m here.” Danny ran his hands around Steve’s shoulders with gentle strokes. “Let me turn on the light ok?” Danny didn’t wait for an answer but stood up slowly, ignoring the catch in his bad knee and reached with one hand for the wall switch. “You’re ok. It’s ok, Steve.”</p><p>“Had a dream...” Steve squinted up as the lights came on, the overhead casting a glow around the room.  Danny sank down again in front of where Steve was crouched. Gently, the blonde took the gun out of Steve’s hand. <br/>“Tell me about it?” Danny asked. He pushed the gun away from both of them, hearing it skitter across the floor.<br/>“Hollis.”<br/>“Aw Babe.”  Danny stroked Steve’s cheek and ran a hand through Steve’s soft disheveled hair. Steve was sweaty but his skin was cool, almost clammy. “I’m here now. It’s gonna be ok.”<br/>Steve suddenly seemed to come out of his reverie and stared hard at Danny like he was trying to figure out if Danny was real.<br/>“Danny.” <br/>“Steve.” Danny managed a smile and stood up again, arms reaching for Steve. “Come on, Babe. Let’s get off the floor.”<br/>“This is the kitchen?” Steve asked with confusion. <br/>Danny’s heart lurched. Steve must have had one hell of a nightmare. Remembering the episode in the plane, Danny felt a rush of sympathy for this beautiful complicated strong man in front of him.</p><p>“Come on.” Danny held his hand out and Steve stood on wobbly legs. “There’s a couple hours before you go act like a fish in that water. You can try to sleep.”<br/>“Danny! It was... it was bad.” Steve allowed Danny to pull him into the living room and slowly up the stairs. <br/>“It must have been,” Danny agreed. He kept his tone and words soft. <br/>“I was... I was in this tomb... and there was a skeleton only it wasn’t really a skeleton. It came to life and Hollis, he was...” Steve closed his eyes tightly, pausing their progress up the stairs. Danny was patient, waiting for Steve, wanting to be his support more than ever.<br/>“He was alive. And there were coins. And a fountain. Roses...” Steve shook his head then started to walk up the remaining stairs. </p><p>“That in itself sounds pretty awful,” Danny answered. They made it to Steve’s bedroom. One look at the disheveled bedspread, sheets and pillows told Danny that Steve must have had a helluva nightmare.<br/>Steve sat on the edge of the bed and Danny lifted Steve’s legs so he was laying flat , and managing to put a pillow under Steve’s head before Steve laid down.<br/>Danny toed off his sneakers and wiggled in beside his exhausted looking partner. <br/>“Come here,” Danny whispered. Steve turned and wrapped his arms around the smaller man. “You’re ok. You’re alright.” Danny petted Steve’s hair feeling how tense Steve’s body was. </p><p>“Don’t want no more dreams.” Steve sighed into Danny’s chest.<br/>“No more dreams,” Danny repeated. He lay awake stroking Steve’s arms and back until his partner fell asleep and his body relaxed. Danny leaned his head against the bed board and closed his own eyes. Sleep claimed both of them just as the sun was coming up.</p><p>Steve waded out of the surf and shook his lean body like a dog. Water droplets flew and he scrubbed at his own face with one hand, getting the salt water away from his eyes. Danny stood before him on the beach, holding a towel. <br/>“Thanks,” Steve said, grabbing it and wiping down his skin. <br/>“Got breakfast going if you’re interested,” Danny said amiably. “Baked some eggs. Bacon. There’s coffee. Juice.”<br/>“Sounds good,” Steve said. <br/>He had woke up wrapped securely in Danny’s arms, blanket pulled over both of them. Steve was confused momentarily then remembered something about a dream, the kitchen, his gun.<br/>“I didn’t threaten you last night.... did I” Steve asked, pausing momentarily in his ministrations. </p><p>“No. You just... had a nightmare. You were in a bad way, Babe.” The 2 of them had started up the sloping hill towards the house. <br/>“Sorry.” Steve’s eyes were downcast.<br/>“Hey, it’s ok. Everything worked out. After I got your text, I—“<br/>“Text?” Steve asked looking puzzled.<br/>“Yeah you texted me saying—“<br/>“Danny I didn’t text you.” Steve protested. They were stopped now facing each other.<br/>“Let’s look at your phone,” Danny said with a smile. “Im sure you forgot.” <br/>“Danny, I didn’t text you.” Before Danny could protest once more Steve went on. “I forgot my phone at work. It’s not even here.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. History Lesson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just what are Steve and Danny looking for?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Thank you for the comments and Kudos!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve finished up with his shower and pulled on a clean pair of cargos and a short sleeved button placket blue shirt. He’d run a towel through his just washed hair and didn’t bother to comb it. His dark locks were sporting some curl making him vow to book an appointment with Odell once the New Orleans assignment was done. <br/>Pulling on his boots, Steve thought about the text message that he’d supposedly sent to Danny. It was probably a glitch in the system. Maybe it was a text that Steve had sent previously and his phone, for whatever the reason, decided to re-send. For real, though, he was grateful that Danny had shown up. He wasn’t sure how long he would have been crouched on the kitchen floor without Danny’s intervention.</p>
<p>Danny had the coffee poured and the plates full when Steve thundered downstairs, boot treads making a clatter on the wooden steps. Danny stopped pouring sugar into his mug and gave Steve a mock glare.<br/>“What are you ... some kind of Neanderthal? Coming downstairs like that, so loud. Geez buddy you’re gonna wake up the neighbourhood!”<br/>“Nice to see you’re at your usual level of good humour,” Steve muttered pulling out a chair and plopping down. <br/>Danny didn’t rise to the bait but merely pursed his lips and stirred his coffee. They ate in amiable silence; only once did Steve get his hand slapped for trying to steal Danny’s last bacon strip.<br/>“So today,” Steve said taking a swig of coffee, “we’re going to hear all about that artifact we’re supposed to find.  Dr. Sean Makula is coming at 10 to fill us in. He’s the curator at the Honolulu Museum of Art and he’s the one who discovered the war club was missing.”</p>
<p>Danny didn’t respond but the look on his face was enough that Steve knew Danny thought the whole thing was ridiculous. Having only lived on the Big Island for a year, his partner wasn’t as in tune with local traditions and legends as a native would be. Even though Danny was loathe to be called a Haole, he refused to dip his toes into the culture of Hawaii. </p>
<p>“Look... Danny... “ Steve picked up his plate, silver and cup and followed the short blonde out into the kitchen. “We get to go to New Orleans. There’s a house we’re gonna use. It’ll be fun.”<br/>“Oh yeah fun like New Zealand was fun,” Danny muttered. He washed the dishes with an extra amount of vigor then held his hand out for Steve’s dishes.<br/>“Well you have to admit it was different,” Steve said with a small smile. He bumped shoulders with Danny, watching Danny’s expressive face as the shorter man tried not to smile.<br/>“I almost died from a tick bite, Steven.” <br/>“Oh you didn’t ‘almost die’” Steve laughed, nudging Danny harder til Danny poked Steve back. <br/>“Alright. Come on you. I need to go home and get dressed for work. Not gonna cut it in sweats.”</p>
<p>When Danny and Steve strode into the offices of H50, Chin met them with a head jerk to his right indicating a man dressed in a 3 piece suit who was perched uncomfortably on the leather couch in Steve’s office. <br/>“Dr. Makula. He’s early.” Chin raised his eyebrows and reached for the handle on the office door.<br/>“Oh good. Here comes the art lesson,” Danny muttered.</p>
<p>“Dr. Makula! Thanks for coming!”<br/>Steve strode into his office and extended his hand, a warm smile on his handsome face. The other man stood and returned the shake, leaving his folder of papers on the couch. <br/>Steve indicated Danny with a nod. “And this is my partner Detective Danny Williams.”<br/>Danny shook the man’s hand then perched on the couch arm to hear what the expert had to say about some missing artifact that they were to find.</p>
<p>Dr. Makula was a good looking older man—Steve estimated him to be in his early 50’s— with a rather Beatlesesque haircut and bright green eyes. He was tall and slim and carried himself confidently. <br/>“Commander McGarrett, as you know from the prior incident we reported, a number of artifacts were stolen from our museum antiquities room last month. With the help of HPD, we have recovered many of them.”<br/>He cleared his throat and looked around the office, eyes flitting from Steve’s models to his desk to the doors. A single bead of sweat slid down his tanned face and dissolved into the collar of his dress shirt.</p>
<p>“It’s ok,” Steve reassured the man who was looking more upset by the second. Danny ducked out the door to get him a glass of water from their fountain.<br/>“Oh it most definitely isn’t, Commander. We are missing one important ... more like vital part of the exhibit, one that can’t be overlooked in the historical grand scheme  of things.” <br/>Danny gave the cup of water to Makula, who nodded his thanks and drank it down with one long gulp.</p>
<p>“So you are missing.... what?” Danny raised his eyebrows and spread his hands apart in question. <br/>“A particular... sword. Or Koa. Made and used by the ancient Polynesian warriors to defend the lands.”</p>
<p>Steve shifted and wrapped his arms around himself, causing his shirt sleeves to ride up exposing his tattoos on either arm.<br/>“That’s a pretty important piece,” Steve agreed.<br/>“This particular battle sword was sturdy and made with shark teeth. The better to maul and tear  an opponent’s skin.” Makula snuck a glance at Danny, who took a step back.<br/>Danny shot a glance at Steve who saw Danny look but continued to keep eye contact with the curator. </p>
<p>“How old are we talking?” Steve asked.<br/>“Over 230 years old.” Makula sighed. “It was instrumental in the battle with Captain Cook.”<br/>“I can see why you want it back, especially if it’s that old,” Steve said.<br/>“It holds a great place in the museum... and in Hawaiian culture,” Makula explained. “It’s.... special.”<br/>“And you think whoever stole it is planning on selling it , albeit underground, at the auction in New Orleans.” Steve now looked at Danny but his partner was staring at the carpet, face flushed.</p>
<p>“We have it on good authority that it will be offered for sale there, yes.” Dr. Makula stood suddenly and shoved the papers in the folder into Steve’s hands. “There are photos of the sword and the approximate measurements. Everything I have about it is in that folder. Please make yourself well acquainted with the facts. There are many poor substitutions on the market.”<br/>“Seriously?” Danny snorted as he looked over Steve’s shoulder at the photographs. “It looks like a kid’s toy or something.  I made one of these at camp In the Catskills when I was 9 years old!”<br/>Dr. Makula turned angrily towards them and grabbed the folder from Steve only to cradle the papers close to his chest. <br/>“Don’t mock the Koa,” he said sternly.<br/>“Uh unless I’m mistaken, it is now the year 2010. I don’t think any uh warriors would still be alive today to be offended at the poor workmanship of their uh war clubs.”</p>
<p>“Listen to me, Detective,” Dr. Makula was very angry now, face red and Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “The power of the Koa is very prevalent today, amidst your cars and modern appliances. Respect them for the great warriors they are!”<br/>“Sorry, Dr. Makula,” Steve said gently pushing Danny out of fist swinging range of the good doctor. “But Danny comes from New Jersey and as such isn’t familiar with our customs.”<br/>“And you—“ the doctor began staring at Steve.<br/>“—I was born here. My Grandfather went down with the Arizona. My father was in the HPD.” Steve’s chest puffed a bit and Dr. Makula calmed down and took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“It is just imperative you find the Koa. We need it to return to its’ rightful place.”<br/>“I understand and rest assured we will do whatever it takes to get it back to you in one piece.  Detective Williams and I are leaving for New Orleans tomorrow and we will do our best to bring it home.” Steve patted the curator on the shoulder and shot Danny a warning glance to be quiet. <br/>“Thank you, Commander. My contact numbers are in the folder. Please keep me posted on your progress.” Dr. Makula headed to the door and Danny opened it for him, watching his retreating figure until the man was out the door.</p>
<p>“Wow. That guy’s very passionate about his museum pieces.” Danny rocked back on his heels.<br/>“The Koa and their weapons are revered in Hawaii, Danny. It’s like their whole belief system respectfully worships the past, and the people who gave everything to keep the Islands free and within their grasp.”<br/>Danny sighed and picked up the folder again. He examined the photo of the wooden carved sword with a row of menacing looking shark teeth on the blade and several colorful tufts of woven hair tied around the hilt.</p>
<p>“Each war club, Danny, was specifically designed to do the utmost damage to the enemy at close range. The Koa used to prepare for battle like it was a religious ceremony, resting and meditating then shaving and oiling their bodies so they were hard to catch in intense hand to hand action.”<br/> Steve stood behind Danny and pointed at the row of shark teeth on the blade. “These were so sharp that a swipe of the club could tear open a man’s flesh easily and painfully.”</p>
<p>Danny looked up at Steve, blue eyes serious, his brow creased as if he was puzzled. <br/>“So somewhere someone has this thing and we are supposed to find it.. To take it back to the museum.”<br/>“That’s the plan, Daniel.” Steve returned to his desk and picked up his mobile, waving it in the air and pointing at it with his other hand. “Told you I left it here last night.”<br/>“Crazy,” Danny muttered, laying the folder down, war club momentarily forgotten as he studied Steve’s triumphant face. “Look and see if there was a text to me last night.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded and flipped open the case then paused, scowling down to look at his phone, finger scrolling.<br/>“Yeah I do. It’s here. Sent at 11:52 PM.”<br/>“But you weren’t here? So how could you have sent me that text—“</p>
<p>They were interrupted by a hurried knock on the door and Chin standing in the doorway.<br/>“There’s been a shooting at the Hilton,” he said breathlessly. “With an active shooter still around!”<br/>“Get Kono and let’s go!” Steve barked, slipping his phone into his pocket and already mentally gearing up for battle. He might not be a Koa but he was not going to let the bad guy win.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They returned to the office, battered and bruised but the team had effectively worked with HPD and SWAT to end the shooter’s chances of picking off more victims. Sadly, the perp was dead, shot in a hail of bullets when he charged where Steve and Danny had been stationed. In this instance it was kill or be killed; Steve and Danny had had no choice but to shoot him.<br/>Still, both men knew that it was never easy to take someone else’s life, even that of a man who had shot a security guard and threatened a pregnant woman used as a hostage. <br/>There wasn’t any chatter in the Camaro on the way back to HQ, no witty banter or insults flying. Danny had been mopping at his cheek where pillar concrete had cut him as a result of a hail of gunfire, and though the wound wasn’t deep enough to merit stitches, it was a bit painful and bloody. <br/>“Let me fix that for you,” Steve offered, one hand on Danny’s back to propel the smaller man into his office.<br/>“I’m fine. I’ll deal with it when I get home.” Danny resisted but Steve had his way as Danny reluctantly perched on the couch, dabbing at his cheek with tissues. </p>
<p>Well practiced at playing medic, Steve slid a first aid kit out of one of the drawers in his wall cupboard and sat down beside his partner. He was still rife with adrenaline from the crime scene and his hands shook as he flipped the latches to the box.<br/>“Seriously, Steve, I’m good. It’s just a scratch.” Danny made as if to stand up but Steve pulled on Danny’s arm. <br/>“Let me.”<br/>Danny sighed and acquiesced, suddenly boneless beside the taller man. He pulled the tissues away and,  keeping his eyes closed,  waited for Steve to do what he wanted to do.</p>
<p>Steve studied Danny’s face for just a moment, taking in the sandy coloured   lashes and eyebrows, the stubble on Danny’s chin, the rosy colour of Danny’s soft looking lips. An errant strand of blonde hair was hanging along the side of Danny’s face and gently, Steve tucked that behind one ear.<br/>There was a noticeable hitch in Danny’s breathing but he kept his eyes closed, waiting for Steve’s next move.<br/>“Danny.” Steve carefully cradled Danny’s face between his hands, Steve’s long fingers stroking the places that were untouched by hurt, reverent in their worship. He slid forward and placed a kiss on Danny’s slightly open mouth, just a gentle pressure, careful and cautious. When Steve pulled away slightly, Danny reacted by moving his head forward and sliding his arms around Steve’s shoulders. He was asking, silently, for another kiss.</p>
<p>Steve obliged, this time with a little more pressure, Steve wetting Danny’s parted lips with just the tip of his tongue and oh yes there was a definite taste, like metallic and peppermint.<br/>But Danny was pushing Steve, pushing him with fingertips that spanned Steve’s collarbone so Steve moved away, disappointed but obedient.<br/>“Not at work, Steven,” Danny whispered.</p>
<p>Steve sat back then, a grin crossing his lips and his eyes dancing with amusement. Danny was looking right at him and smiling just a little. <br/>“Take care of this will ya?” Danny touched his cheek which had stopped bleeding but was messy and dark with blood stains.<br/>“Danny Danny Danny,” Steve mumbled, shaking his head. <br/>Steve pulled out a sterile bottle of water, some gauze and a tube of antibiotic salve. Carefully, and with gentle fingers, Steve cleaned the cuts—3 small gouges right in exact linear proportions on Danny’s cheek— then applied the salve and 3 sterile bandaids. Once those were done, Steve scrubbed the remnants of the blood off Danny’s face with antiseptic cloths.<br/>“As good as new,” Steve said sitting back and taking in his handiwork.<br/>“Remind me to drop you off at Tripler to work in Triage.” Danny stood and threw away the remnants of the cleaning cloths and band aids. “Wanna order lunch? I’m starved.”<br/>“Dinner?” Steve asked looking at his watch. It was 4:30. <br/>“Dinner it is.”</p>
<p>Danny finished packing his duffel, leaving it open for the last minute additions like his shaving kit in the morning.  He and Steve had an early flight from Honolulu to LA, a 2 hour layover, then another 3 hour flight to New Orleans. He thought about their last trip and just as quickly pushed those details from his mind. He didn’t need any bad juju before taking off.<br/>And then there was the business with Steve. They were to act like a married couple, art collectors with a penchant for the unique masterpiece and plenty of money to burn. Their house was right in the middle of the city just blocks from the main drag and the FBI agents they were working with had promised H50 that it was the perfect residence for their covers.</p>
<p>Danny looked at the folder that the doctor had given them about the artifact. Sighing, he ran one hand through his hair and picked it up, tucking it against his arm as he crawled into his sofa bed. Since he was going to be some kind of an art expert, he thought he should read through the particulars and at least become familiar with the missing weapon.<br/>He looked at the teeth that were attached to the edge of the sword like club and shuddered. The very fact that each warrior fashioned his battle club to give the most pain was a bit off putting but of course that was exactly what he himself did when he selected the gun he wanted to use. Same end result different era.<br/>Danny sighed and yawned. His cheek throbbed a bit but it was nothing that was going to keep him awake. Steve had done a good job playing doctor. </p>
<p>Danny ran his fingers along his lips. That kiss... those kisses... had been... what? Promises? Danny reached out and turned off the light and laid the folder next to him on the bed. He curled up and closed his eyes and replayed the kisses as his breathing became regular and he fell asleep.</p>
<p>The NY Mets fight song registered in his foggy brain as Danny sat up and reached for his phone to turn off the alarm. Morning. He had a plane to catch. He and Steve would be in New Orleans this afternoon. </p>
<p>Danny got up and threw his duffel back up on the unmade sheets. He wouldn’t have time for breakfast but he hoped that there was a sweet kiosk at the airport that would fill his caffeine needs. As he fluffed up the pillows, his eye caught something colorful sticking out from under the folder he’d abandoned on the bed. Carefully, he picked it up thinking maybe it was a ribbon that Grace had and it had fallen from her case the last time she stayed over. But as Danny examined it in the light, he saw that it was not a ribbon or a hair band but a piece of coarse horse hair, dyed red. It felt brittle in his hand and Danny clutched it suddenly. Where had it come from? </p>
<p>Uneasy, Danny picked up the folder and stared at the photo of the Koa. He remembered the tufts of hair and feathers wrapped around the hilt of the  sword and recalled that there had been a definite clump of red. </p>
<p>There was not a sign of anything red hanging from the picture of the  sword and instead there was a space where the red hair had been wrapped tightly to the hilt. Danny stared at the photo then let the red hair drop from his hand, dropping in seemingly slow motion on the bed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ <br/>	◦</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. What Lies Beneath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny is shook to his core by another sign.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>These chapters seem to write themselves. Thanks as always for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve pulled up in his Silverado and waited for Danny to come out of his apartment. It was a warm and humid day with the promise of rain later but so far it was nothing but grey skies and a few wispy clouds dotting the horizon.<br/>
Danny opened the door of the truck and pulled himself up, squaring himself on the seat and throwing his duffel in the back. He held his faithful backpack on his lap.<br/>
“Got gum in there?” Steve asked, jerking his head towards the backpack as he reversed gear and backed out of the parking space.<br/>
“Yeah yeah two kinds.”<br/>
Steve snuck a peek at Danny who was silent and looking stoically out the windshield. His mouth was a thin line and his brows were furrowed.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong? Didn’t you sleep?”<br/>
“No no I’m good. I’m fine.” Danny inhaled and leaned back against the seat. He had convinced himself that somehow Dr.  Makula had had a sample of the materials of the Koa and had placed them in the folder. Hence, the coarse red hair on the bed this morning.<br/>
“You ready to visit New Orleans?” Steve asked, giving Danny’s leg a poke.<br/>
“Hoping that New Orleans has no ticks,” Danny grumbled.<br/>
Steve decided that Danny wasn’t in the mood to be teased; clearly his whole demeanor read to back off.<br/>
“So you didn’t sleep,” Steve said.</p>
<p>“I didn’t sleep? No, I slept. I slept very well thank you,” Danny answered, his one hand waving to punctuate his words.<br/>
“No?  Cuz you’re kinda grumpy.” Steve looked over at his partner then back at the road where he  accelerated smoothly through a green light.<br/>
“Don’t... just... don’t...” Danny said. </p>
<p>Danny leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. It wasn’t too hard to convince himself that the coarse hair he’d found in his bed had been somewhere in the folder and not the original that was wrapped around the hilt of the war club. He wanted to just stare at the photo to try to figure things out but Steve arrived and then they’d be on a plane for hours. There was just no time.<br/>
“Look at it this way, Danny,” Steve cajoled. “The weather is gonna be the same!”<br/>
“Hurrah,” Danny answered but Steve’s attempt at teasing was having an effect. In spite of himself Danny smiled. Just a little. “It’s not bad enough that I sweat here. I gotta go for an 8 hour plane ride to sweat some more, albeit in a strange place.”<br/>
“You’ll be fine.” </p>
<p>The first leg of their journey from Honolulu to LA was uneventful. Both men dozed throughout the trip, waking long enough to eat a snack or use the restroom. By the time they landed at LAX, Steve was ready to bounce off the ceiling. He hadn’t had his morning swim so he was antsy with pent up energy.<br/>
“Slow your jets, big guy,” Danny said pulling on the back of Steve’s tee shirt. “Let the lady get her case from the bin.”<br/>
Steve nodded, acknowledging that he had been gung ho to race down the narrow aisle to get to the attached jet bridge. The woman turned her head enough to glare at Steve, shouldered her bag and walked slowly down between the seats. Steve waited for a few seconds and followed her, keeping a distance, telling his body to slow down. He felt Danny’s presence behind him and smiled. </p>
<p>“We have a 2 hour layover here,” Steve called back over his shoulder.<br/>
“It’ll take us that long to find our gate,” Danny groused. The idea of the red horse hair had been filed away in Danny’s head in a neat little box. He chose not to even think about it.<br/>
“You know,” Steve said as he turned completely around on the jet bridge to face Danny, “you’re probably right. This place is so big.”<br/>
Danny sighed and ran a hand over his hair. He’d used a new pomade on it that morning and it was less than stellar  since stray strands of hair were falling into his eyes.<br/>
“Baggage claim first though,” Steve added, and started down the terminal.</p>
<p>“Hey Steve? I just want to pop in here. Wait, ok?” Danny pointed to the men’s room off the corridor.<br/>
“Yep,” Steve answered popping his ‘p.’ That earned a mock glare from Danny who just shook his head and pushed the door that led into the bathroom.</p>
<p>Like most of the tiled and overly lit bathrooms in public places like airports, the men’s room was garish with dark blue and lighter green tiles on the walls and the floor.  At the urinals  there was a stocky middle aged man who was... not exactly using the facilities as they were intended. On the small counter that ran the length of the room, the man had laid a book down flat, pages bowed out and spine bent.<br/>
Danny cursed under his breath. There always had to be one lunatic around. Detouring to the stalls, Danny silently wished he hadn’t drank the third cup of coffee on the plane. But it was what it was and he was here so he undid the zip and button on his jeans and stood in front of the toilet.<br/>
Danny heard the sound of the main door opening and shutting then silence. God, the man hadn’t even washed his hands? Danny had to swallow hard to keep his snack from making a reappearance albeit in altered form.<br/>
Done now, Danny pulled himself together and raised his foot to push the handle only to have the lights go out.</p>
<p>Ok. This was really annoying. Not only was it so dark Danny couldn’t really find the handle to flush but the brightness of the tile still swam in front of his eyes. He blinked several times trying to adjust to the murk around him.<br/>
“Hey! Turn on the lights! Quit playing around!” He yelled.<br/>
There was a shuffle outside his stall.<br/>
Danny froze.<br/>
Suddenly he was transported back in time.<br/>
June. 1366 Mulberry Street. He and Tommy Cross and Ricky Bonaducci stood in front of the neighbourhood haunted house. They were 9 years old, fresh off the school year, the infinite summer stretching ahead of them.<br/>
Tommy and Ricky both dared Danny to go inside the house, stay for 10 seconds and then leave. At stake was five bucks, most of Tommy’s allowance for the week plus the overnight use of Ricky’s new slingshot.</p>
<p>Danny had done it, crawled inside through a window and stood his ground for 10 very long seconds but he was not alone. He had the overwhelming feeling that there was someone behind him, standing. Watching. Breathing. When Danny had crawled out the window, something... someone... had grabbed at his ankle and by the time he had reached Tommy and Ricky, Danny was white and trembling, eyes huge and lip quivering. </p>
<p>And now,  this very minute, Danny remembered that foray into that house in great detail.<br/>
And this... THIS felt like that time in the house. The silence. The oppressive air. The sound of shuffling in front of the stall.<br/>
Danny bent on shaking knees and looked under the door, the very faint light giving him a glimpse of what was waiting for him just outside the stall. </p>
<p>Bare feet. Bare Pacific Islander feet.</p>
<p>Danny gasped and stumbled back, hitting the toilet and nearly falling. The handle to the door rattled and something was pushing the door in. Danny heard the hinges creak and he closed his eyes, heart hammering in his chest.</p>
<p>“Hey Danny? Danny? Why are the lights off? Hey!”<br/>
Light flooded Danny’s senses. He blinked and squinted against the glare of the fluorescents and realized that he was trembling all over.<br/>
“Steve?” He called out hoping it wasn’t a trick. Danny fumbled for the handle and practically fell out of the stall, nearly collapsing in Steve’s arms.<br/>
“Steve.... it’s you...” Danny babbled, holding himself up by gripping Steve’s arms.<br/>
“Yeah uh who else was in here? You ok? What happened!? Why were the lights out?”<br/>
Danny inhaled gustily and made his way over to the sink to wash his hands. After his hands were washed, he splashed cold water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. </p>
<p>“Danny?” Steve asked, quiet now, a hand on Danny’s shoulder. Danny felt the reassuring weight and began to pull himself together. If he told Steve, his partner would think he was crazy. At the same time maybe it had been a trick, someone playing a game. But who and why?<br/>
“Hey? Danny? What’s going on, buddy?”<br/>
Danny shrugged and grabbed his backpack from Steve’s hand.<br/>
“Someone joking around. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>With that, Danny was out the door, the blast of air conditioning hitting him suddenly; goosebumps flecked his arms and he shivered. Steve was right behind him but Danny kept walking rapidly towards the baggage claim, not wanting to discuss his experience. Steve followed, confused and silent, wondering what had happened in the bathroom.</p>
<p>“Hey look there’s your bag,” Danny grabbed at the duffel and handed it back to his partner. He knew Steve was looking at him, trying to ascertain what had happened and why Danny was so shook up. When Danny’s duffel came around, Danny picked it up by the strap and hauled it over his shoulder.<br/>
“Ok let’s go find our gate.”<br/>
“We should get a sandwich or something,” Steve said eyeing the kiosks to the right of the baggage claim area. </p>
<p>“Ok, yeah and something to drink,” Danny muttered. He felt the last vestiges of sweat roll down his back.<br/>
“Like what? A shot of whiskey?” Steve suggested.<br/>
“A what... a... a shot? We’re on duty, goofball,” Danny admonished.<br/>
“Well, to be honest, you look and act like you need one.” Steve stopped walking and reached out to grab Danny’s arm. “What happened in the bathroom?”<br/>
“Nothing.” Danny attempted to wriggle out of Steve’s grasp.<br/>
“Don’t tell me that,” Steve whispered, mouth so close to Danny’s ear that the force of his breath caused a few strands of Danny’s hair to flutter.<br/>
“Ok, well, let’s get something and sit down,” Danny grumbled, pointing to the main concourse. “I’ll tell you then.”<br/>
“Good.”</p>
<p>Both men walked by a few little pop up restaurants before settling on a Fudrucker’s  where they ordered cheeseburgers and fries chased down with Cokes. Danny didn’t even know how to begin to bring up what had happened and Steve didn’t rush him.<br/>
“Ok... alright...” Danny dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. He loved ketchup on his fries but it was messy!  He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a whisper causing Steve to actually bend his head and reach out for Danny’s free hand. “There was some funny business going on all morning.”</p>
<p>“Funny business?” Steve asked, confused.<br/>
“Yeah you know like uh.... like some of the ribbon of hair coming off the sword in the photo and ending up in my bed.  Or the appearance of a warrior, barefoot and all, trying to get into my stall in the bathroom a few minutes ago!”  Danny swallowed. This was going badly. Steve probably thought he was crazy.<br/>
“Danny.... that’s .... related to the Koa!”<br/>
“Yes ... yes it is. It IS related to the Koa and quite honestly I could do without it.”<br/>
“Wow.” Steve sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his face. “That certainly is ... spooky.”<br/>
“Spooky kooky I don’t know.  I’m pretty upset about the ... thing... in the bathroom.”  Danny suddenly stood and grabbed their trays of paper and napkins. He combined the two into one quickly and headed to the trash receptacle. “Anyways you wanted to know and I told you.” </p>
<p>“Well there has to be a plausible explanation for this,” Steve said. They were walking down to their gate, carrying their duffels.<br/>
“You tell me then. Got any theories?”<br/>
“Not yet. Give me a while,” Steve answered.<br/>
“Give you a while... huh! Well if it happens... if something else happens I’m going to be a believer that’s for sure,” Danny muttered. </p>
<p>The 2 partners checked in for their flight at the designated gate and sprawled into chairs to wait. Steve was pensive, frowning and playing with his phone. Danny was antsy, reliving how he had felt when he was trapped in the stall.<br/>
“I think the Koa are trying to thank you for going on to find the sword,” Steve said finally. “It isn’t like they were threatening you.”<br/>
“Oh really?” Danny dropped his voice. “I don’t think that native was knocking on the door for a friendly chat!”<br/>
“Ok here’s the thing,” Steve said, moving closer to Danny. “I’ll be with you from now on. I won’t let you alone. That way if something happens,<br/>
I’ll experience it too.”</p>
<p>Danny sighed and turned over Steve’s words in his head. Part of him was hoping Steve would step up like this while part of him was fearful still that it would only happen if he was alone.<br/>
“Ok.” Danny nodded. “Ok.”<br/>
“Good.” Steve smiled and Danny’s heart about melted at the look, the LOOK that Steve was giving him like Danny was the only one in the room and he mattered most. Danny reached out, took Steve’s hand and leaned back in the chair. “We’re in this together, Danny. I promise I’ll be there with you.”<br/>
Danny squeezed Steve’s hand and some of the tension left his body. Facing the unknown was so hard alone; having Steve at his side made Danny feel he could conquer anything, even a well oiled native with a penchant for shark teeth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Home Sweet Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny and Steve check into New Orleans.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The house is based on a real home in New Orleans.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve sighed and closed the in flight magazine. One glance over to Danny and he could see the blonde was deeply engrossed with a Marvel adventure on the screen in front of him. <br/>As Steve sat there and tried not to jiggle (which was kind of difficult since both men had had Cokes for lunch and another on the plane), he thought about what Danny had told him. It was all very puzzling but as a native son of Hawaii, Steve was familiar with all of the legends and the stories passed down from one generation to the next.  Something had happened in that bathroom; Danny had been pale and shaking when he’d come out of that stall!  But to think that there was a Polynesian warrior outside the door trying to get in ... that was a bit... far fetched. Still, Steve knew that there was some truth in legend. Danny wouldn’t lie about what he’d seen after all. But was it plausible? No. Was it possible? <br/>Yes.</p>
<p>Steve shifted in the seat and looked up and down the aisle before he stretched one long leg out. They had not been lucky enough to score bulkhead seats so the aisle was an acceptable alternative to keep his long legs stretched out, at least until service came around. <br/>Steve thought about their assignment ahead. </p>
<p>He and Danny had slipped on their wedding rings and picked up their tickets, checking in as the undercover married couple of Christopher and Wallace Abbott, art dealers and collectors. They’d both read the literature to have a good background in antiquities if anyone asked them, and Steve felt confident they could pull this off. Already he felt propriety of Danny, protective and concerned. But it felt odd having a wedding ring on his left hand even if it was just a simple black shiny band. Danny’s was similar only instead of a solid band, his had a small Diamond in the middle. When Steve pointed out the difference between the bands, Danny had rolled his eyes and told Steve to ‘shut up.’</p>
<p>So here they were, Christopher and Wallace, heading to New Orleans and their rented house to try and find out who was stealing and reselling stolen antiques and artifacts including the sacred Koa. <br/>Now then. About the hair in the hilt and the warrior... what really had Danny seen under the stall door? Was it just an angsty teenager playing a trick on someone older? Was it truly a Koa who was looking for his battle ax? <br/>Steve glanced over at Danny who was now asleep, the movie going on without him, Danny’s head lolling forward chin on chest. Gently, Steve positioned Danny’s head back against the seat and ran a finger across the band on Danny’s left hand.  Married.  Married to Danny. <br/>What would that feel like anyways? <br/>Would it be fun to wake up next to Danny and expect more than conversation?<br/>Would Danny be a good lover? </p>
<p>“Whatever you’re thinking, let it go.”<br/>Steve jumped a little, startled that Danny said something. So he wasn’t asleep. <br/>“You think loudly, Steve,” Danny sighed. He sat up and turned off the screen in front of him. “How much longer we gotta be on this plane?”<br/>Steve glanced at his watch and calculated quickly. “A little over an hour.”<br/>“Ok let me up then,” Danny nudged Steve’s leg and started to stand up.<br/>“Gotta climb over me.” Steve grinned, feeling playful. “Maybe give me a little lap dance since we’re you know married and everything.” Steve waggled his eyebrows but was met with a perturbed look on Danny’s face.<br/>“Just move will ya?” <br/>“No sense of adventure,” Steve groused but stood up and slid into the aisle to let Danny pass.<br/>“Come on,” Danny whispered, tugging on Steve’s hand.<br/>“What?”<br/>“Come ON! Just... I don’t want any visitors in the bathroom, ok?” Danny said through clenched teeth.<br/>“No haka outside the loo?” Steve teased.<br/>Danny frowned and turned and made his way down the aisle towards the rear of the plane. Steve followed, knowing Danny was irritated now but still Steve would do as he asked.</p>
<p>Danny used the toilet then washed his hands. The bathroom was built for small people like himself; he knew Steve would have to maneuver his tall lanky body in here. He was grateful for Steve but at the same time, he didn’t want his partner to tease him about what had happened. If Danny closed his eyes he could still feel that oppressive atmosphere in the bathroom and see those bare feet under the door.  He shivered then opened the bifold door leading out. Steve was leaning on the back of an empty seat, arms folded on his chest. <br/>“My turn. Gonna wait?” Steve asked.<br/>“Do you want me to?” Danny cocked his head.<br/>“Naw go ahead and get situated.” Steve vanished inside the bathroom and Danny made his way back to their seats. The beverage service was starting so Danny sat down immediately and waited for Steve. His glance fell on the screen in front of him and he saw that it was on.</p>
<p>Danny frowned. He was sure that he had turned it off when he had woke up. <br/>With a sigh, Danny reached out to turn it off but was startled when an image filled the screen. It was an angry looking warrior, black hair oiled and caught in a tie back, streaks of paint across his nose and under his eyes. He blinked once then the image was gone.</p>
<p>Danny felt like his heart had stopped. The noise around him was like a void and he felt the air rushing by his ears. It couldn’t be. He hadn’t seen that image and yet he had! <br/>“Danny?”<br/>Danny jumped and turned to face his partner who was definitely looking at him with concern. <br/>“Steve... I... I uh I saw....”</p>
<p>“Would you like a soda? Coffee? Tea?”<br/>Steve and Danny looked up at the flight attendant who was standing by their seats, a bored look on her face punctuated bu a pasted on smile.<br/>“None for me thanks,” Steve said. “But I think perhaps a water for my mate here.”<br/>“Certainly.”<br/>A bottle of water appeared in front of Danny as the cart went rolling down the aisle. <br/>Danny sat back and tried to calm his galloping pulse. This was crazy. He was being.., haunted... but why?</p>
<p>“Danny? What happened?” Steve asked in a low voice.<br/>“I saw... I saw someone on the screen but it was... I turned it off. I’m losing my fucking mind.” Danny hid his face in his hands and shook his head.<br/>“What did you see on the screen?” Steve asked again.<br/>“I saw a warrior, ok? With war paint. And he looked... he looked mad.”</p>
<p>Steve was silent and Danny’s heart fell. Of course Steve didn’t believe him. He probably thought Danny was insane, cracked, crazy. Steve would be calling the psycho squad any time now.<br/>“Danny I believe you, ok?” Steve reached over and took Danny’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Obviously something is happening here. We have to do our best to get that sword back to the museum. But I’m not sure why you’re the... target.”<br/>“Me either but I wish it would go away,” Danny huffed. <br/>Steve opened Danny’s bottle of water and nudged his arm.<br/>“Come on. Drink some water and try to calm down. I’m here, ok?”<br/>“Yeah yeah.” Danny drank a couple of swallows then sighed. “This sucks. We’re supposed to be going Uc and I’m being followed around by a mad warrior.”</p>
<p>“We will do our best to wrap this case up quickly,” Steve whispered. <br/>“For my own fucking sanity I hope so,” Danny answered.</p>
<p>Touchdown at a hot and humid Louis Armstrong International and Steve and Danny went to the rental desk to get their car. Sure enough, one had been set aside for Christopher Abbott (2 b’s 2t’s) and the 2 men were grateful to get into their SUV and turn on the ac full blast. <br/>Steve drove of course, not letting Danny anywhere near the keys but Danny had the map out and was concentrating putting the coordinates into the GPS.<br/>“What if the warrior is trying to tell you something?” Steve said out of the blue.<br/>Danny paused and squinted in thought.<br/>“Like what? And why to me? Why not you? You’re Island Boy.”</p>
<p>Steve frowned and changed lanes swiftly, pulling in front of a truck and causing Danny to gasp out loud.<br/>“Well we will never find out if you’re gonna drive like Evil Knevil in this traffic, Steven!” Danny punctuated his statement bu throwing his hands in the air.<br/>“Did you punch the coordinates into the thing?” Steve asked deflecting Danny’s tirade.<br/>“Yes and even it is scared of your driving,” Danny groused. <br/>“Danny, I’m just driving like all of these Southerners. I can’t do a turtle crawl in the main lane!” Steve snuck a glance at his complaining partner. Danny was  braced with his feet out straight and his hands holding on to the dash.</p>
<p>“Ok whatever but I’d be grateful if we made it to our house in one piece!”<br/>“Hey at least this way you’re not going to see any lurking warriors!” Steve joked, flashing a smile at his partner.<br/>Danny scowled and sighed. “So we’re treating this like a joke now?” He asked. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you.” He looked out the window, watching the cars whizzing by.<br/>“Hey Danny,” Steve said, his tone apologetic. Glancing at the blonde, Steve saw the firm set of Danny’s jaw and the tense lines around his eyes. “I didn’t mean it. Just trying to keep the tone light.”<br/>“Yeah.” Danny shrugged and looked down at his lap. He was losing his mind. That was the only explanation. </p>
<p>Both men were silent though Steve did turn the radio on to some senseless pre programmed top pop 40 hit station. Danny endured the noise because at least he didn’t have to talk to Steve who looked like a little boy whose mother scolded him.<br/>The GPS was true and as Steve pulled up to the house they were to use as their cover, Danny got a little excited. It was right on the corner but it had gated parking and a gated lot. Windows in the front stretched from top of the framework house to the bottom and the predominant color of the house was white. Purple and pink lines framed the windows.</p>
<p>“Here we are. Wow. Looks ... eclectic...” Steve muttered. <br/>“I think you can park beside the house, along the concrete there.” Danny pointed at the driveway area that was big enough for 2 cars. <br/>Steve nodded and slowly entered where the gate stood open. He switched off the ignition and hopped out, the mid afternoon sun hitting him. It was hot and humid alright and there was no ocean breeze like there was back in Hawaii.<br/>“It’s hot, “ Danny said, putting on his sunglasses that he’d dug out of his bag. “Got the key?”<br/>“Yeah,” Steve answered and fished around in his own backpack. Pulling out a small grey pouch, he opened it and held up a set of keys.<br/>“Ok genius. Close the gate and lock it. I’m going to walk over to the front door.”  Danny picked up their duffels and headed up the small set of stairs in front. He waited until Steve joined him and moved out of the way while Steve opened the door.</p>
<p>Both men were treated to a cool blast of air as they entered the hallway. Someone had been there and turned on the AC. Danny dropped the bags and walked around to the living room. <br/>It was as if a box of crayons had exploded. There were two long couches both tufted and with rounded cushions. One was red the other purple. The walls were a beige colour except where a historical painting of George Washington and Lafayette on horseback took up most of the area behind the one sofa. A multi crystal chandelier graced the middle of the ceiling. Danny stifled a giggle. They were definitely not in Hawaii any longer!</p>
<p>Steve had wandered into the kitchen, curious if the fridge was stocked. Surprisingly, it was a modern room, with granite counters and cream coloured cabinets. The floor space wasn’t ample—it was more like a galley kitchen— but the appliances were new and there was ample counter space. He peeked in the fridge and was rewarded with a goodly bunch of products, from milk to beer to cheese and some kind of luncheon meat. <br/>Through then to the dining room where another chandelier hung down giving the space an old feel. The walls were painted beige and the wooden antique table with 6 chairs was in the middle of the room. <br/>Looking for Danny, Steve continued through a small den like area with overstuffed chairs and a tv on the wall to the hall. He heard Danny moving around in what was probably the bedroom so Steve walked back and retrieved their bags then found his way to the bedroom. </p>
<p>One bed. <br/>Steve saw Danny turn and look at him, raising his eyebrows as he indicated the bed with a sweep of his hand. The bedroom itself was small but the bed was a king. They’d be fine.<br/>“Did you find the bathroom?” Steve asked setting their bags down beside the bed.<br/>“Yeah it’s off this way. Pretty nice except the tile, man. Glossy. Big shower though.” Danny sat down on the edge of the bed and watched as Steve  checked out the bathroom. <br/>“Not bad!” He emerged with a grin. “Nice place huh?”<br/>“Weird. The decorator must have been a history fan.” Danny got up and threw his bag on the bed, unzipping it to rummage through his belongings. He wasn’t sure if Steve was going to unpack she he waited to take his cue.</p>
<p>“Hey Danny?” Steve said, playing around with the zipper on his bag. “I didn’t mean to make fun of you earlier... in the car...”<br/>“Was that an apology?” Danny crossed his arms on his chest and cocked his head, looking at the brunette. <br/>“Ok yeah alright yes it is ok? I believe you.”<br/>“You don’t have to say that,” Danny muttered. <br/>“But I do.” Steve was suddenly behind Danny, hands on Danny’s shoulders. “I’m here, ok? Whatever is going on, I’ll be right here to help you.” <br/>“It all sounds crazy. Cuckoo. Maybe I’m just imagining it.”<br/>“Are you?” Steve rested his chin on Danny’s head, hands still on Danny’s shoulders. “I don’t think you are. There’s magic... tradition... with a koa. Somehow, they selected you. And I promise you... and them... we will get it back.”<br/>“Hope so,” Danny sighed. “I’m really not keen on having a crazed Polynesian warrior follow me around.”</p>
<p>“Want a beer? Someone knew our tastes. There’s Longboards chilling.” Steve pointed towards the hall.<br/>“Now you’re talking. Let’s go through our cover and the events tomorrow while we relax.” Danny followed Steve to the kitchen pausing momentarily to check out the dining room. <br/>“Like I said... this house must have been decorated by a true history lover.” Danny took the bottle that Steve held out for him and then snagged his backpack that was on the hall floor. “Time to get to work. The sooner we solve this mystery the sooner we can go home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Romance Absinthe Style</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nightlife.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As promised, here’s a little bit of spicy romance.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They decided to set up camp in the small den with the overstuffed chairs and the tv. Danny fixed them sandwiches and nabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard to eat while they studied for the art auction and for their undercover roles.<br/>Steve gleefully pointed out that Wallace (aka Danny) had proposed to Christopher (aka Steve) as written in their background bio.<br/>“Really?” Danny snorted and rolled his eyes.<br/>“Hey! I’m a catch!” Steve acted offended but inside he was laughing. Danny was always up to spouting off on something.</p>
<p>“You’re a catch huh? Catch and release maybe.” Danny went back to sorting out the names and numbers of some of the attendees at the next day’s auction.<br/>“You say that out loud but you’re thinking something different altogether,” Steve said, raising his beer and taking a long swallow. <br/>“What? You’re a mind reader now?” Danny scoffed. <br/>“You know what?” Steve stood up and grabbed the paraphernalia from Danny’s hand. He put up one finger to shush Danny up so he could explain his actions. “We need to blow off some steam. Let’s go explore the city a little.”</p>
<p>“While that sounds like a fine idea, Steven,  we do have a duty here.” Danny reached for the papers that Steve held but Steve dodged his hand. <br/>“What’s the harm of one drink? Huh? Come on, Danny! We’re in New Orleans!” Steve silently pleaded with his partner and saw the first waiver flit across Danny’s face. “That’s the spirit! Come on! Change your shirt and I’ll call for a cab!”<br/>“I don’t know.... this could be bad...” Danny groused but was walking towards the bedroom to get ready. Steve punched a triumphant fist in the air and looked up the number to the cab companies. <br/>He was ready to blow off some steam; he hoped Danny was too.</p>
<p>45 minutes later, Steve and Danny exited their cab and walked up the sidewalk to Arnaud’s French 75. Their cab driver highly recommended it and said the food was decent too so here they were. <br/>The crowd spilled out on to the sidewalk, lounging in wrought iron patio furniture or in some cases sitting on the edges of the  cement raised flower beds along the walkway. Steve scouted the crowd, saw a couple leaving and dove through the crowd to grab the table for Danny and himself. Danny followed behind, an uncertain look on his face but as always, just the sight of the blonde made Steve’s arousal level increase. <br/>“Looks like a happening place,” Danny shouted above the notes of Ivan Neville’s ‘Sun’ that was blasting out from the speakers.<br/>“I’ll go wave a server down,” Steve shouted back and stood on tip toe to survey the crowd. As if by magic, a petite redhead wearing an apron and carrying a weathered notepad appeared to his left.  “Oh hey! Good timing!” Steve bent close to her to ask the specials then nodded when she answered  him. Danny couldn’t hear the exchange and was immediately on guard.<br/>“What did you get?” He asked Steve as he watched the server disappear again in the throng of humanity.<br/>“The special!” Steve shouted then sat down, waving his hand to indicate Danny should do the same.<br/>Danny slowly perched in the chair. The music was so loud that the bass line made his chest hurt and so many people made him nervous. He couldn’t see a clear exit to the street from where he was seated and this made him extremely anxious. Steve though was nodding his head to the music, now The Fixx’s  ‘Saved By Zero’, and smiling over at Danny.</p>
<p>Suddenly their server was back, and as she placed 2 glasses, half full of a clear  green liquid, on their table, Danny decided to try to have a good time. He had been chased all day from things he couldn’t begin to explain so now was a great time to just forget it all and let his hair down.<br/>Steve paid for the drinks and her tip with a 20 then raised his glass to wait for Danny to toast.<br/>“To our mission!” Steve yelled above the music and they clinked glasses. </p>
<p>Danny took a sip of the liquid inside his glass and abruptly put his glass down. That sip burned like liquid fire all the way down. It was strangely licorice flavored with a touch of something else earthy. <br/> “What IS this?” Danny shouted. Steve had a strange look on his face too and looked down at his glass. <br/>“Absinthe!” Steve responded.<br/>“Absinthe?” Danny frowned. “What’s that?”<br/>“I don’t know!  But it tastes pretty good!” Steve grinned and sipped some more of the strange liquid from his tumbler. </p>
<p>They sat sipping the odd flavored drink and enjoying the music thundering from the outdoor speakers. Danny felt his pulse pound with each beat of every song and closed his eyes feeling mellow. He didn’t know why he’d never tried this liquor before but it sure was good going down, albeit strong.  Steve was sitting across from him doing Steve things, he supposed, but he couldn’t bother himself to even care. <br/>A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his reverie and he blinked blearily upwards to see his partner, who was now pulling on Danny trying to get him to stand up.<br/>“Animal...” Danny complained but he stood, unsteady now, nearly falling backwards had Steve not had a hold of him. <br/>“Dance wit’ me.”<br/>Steve pulled Danny close and with both hands on Danny’s butt, pushed the smaller man up against his body. Steve mouthed Danny’s ear lobe and bit the side of Danny’s neck with front teeth, causing the smaller man to moan. </p>
<p>They swayed by the table, Mick Jagger and the Stones taking them to task for getting no satisfaction, and Danny could care less what they looked like. He breathed in the scent that was Steve, that salt sea and bright blue smell that Danny could recognize anywhere. Steve’s big hands were still spanning Danny’s ass cheeks, rubbing over them slowly as they swayed from foot to foot. Danny felt the heat from Steve’s lithe body and how hard Steve was through his jeans. </p>
<p>Steve pulled away long enough to gulp the rest of his drink then tilted Danny’s head up with 2 fingers under Danny’s chin. His lips moved but Danny couldn’t hear anything but the driving beat of the music, now a classic from the Staple Sisters. And then they kissed.</p>
<p>Danny opened his mouth to give Steve access and oh that talented tongue and hot lips were driving Danny crazy. Sucking on the length of a Steve’s tongue, Danny gripped Steve’s shirt with frantic twisting fingers. He wanted Steve whole. He wanted Steve inside him, outside him, all around him. The taste of Steve combined with the heaviness of the liquor pulled at all of the pleasure points in his groin and Danny moaned into the kiss.  With a push forward from Steve’s hands on Danny’s ass, the 2 men were pressed together like in matching bookends. Danny clung to Steve’s shirt then let go to wrap his arms around Steve’s lithe solid frame. <br/>“Steve.” Danny gasped out, rubbing his face against Steve’s chest and neck. </p>
<p>Steve stepped away suddenly but he kept a hold of Danny’s hand. Danny shivered from the lack of body heat and the absence of Steve’s touch.  But Steve was leading Danny away from the crowd towards the street, to the line of cabs by the curb, drivers patiently waiting for bar patrons to use their services.  One of the drivers opened the cab door and Steve crawled in the back seat ahead of Danny, and pulled the smaller man in after him.  Danny, suddenly boneless,  tumbled against Steve and the driver shut the door as the 2 men resumed their kissing, only stopping for Steve to blurt out the address.<br/>Steve kissed Danny like a drowning man, clinging to Danny’s lips and tongue as if they were the salvation on a stormy sea. Danny tried to pull away to embrace Steve but Steve tightened his grip on Danny’s shoulders, cementing his place beside Steve.  By the time the cab driver pulled up in front of their house, Steve had Danny’s shirt unbuttoned and Danny’s nipples hard and puckered from Steve’s mouth and fingers.</p>
<p>“Pay the man, Steven,” Danny giggled, walking up the sidewalk to the gate where he waited for his partner. Within a minute, Steve was there and pulling the smaller man through the gate and up the stairs to the house door. <br/>“Keys keys keys,” Steve said snapping his fingers impatiently at Danny who was digging through his jeans pocket. Thrusting the keys into Steve’s hand, Danny tried to ignore the heavy hardness between his legs and his tingling nipples. Were they really going to do this? <br/>“Inside,” Steve growled. <br/>Danny obediently slipped inside and threw his phone and wallet on the table. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny’s waist and started to mouth Danny’s neck, lips biting and seeking the heat that was pouring off the smaller man. Steve found a particularly sensitive spot right behind Danny’s ear, eliciting a gasp and a total surrender as Danny bent his head down and held on tightly to Steve’s hands. </p>
<p>“Steve.... let’s.... oh my God...” Danny closed his eyes and gave in to the waves of pleasure that were currently manifesting in his cock. <br/>“Bedroom?” Steve answered, grinding his hips against Danny.<br/>“Yeah uh yeah..” Danny stammered. </p>
<p>And in an Aha moment, Steve guided Danny down the hall to the bedroom they were sharing, pushing the blonde against the wall every so few feet, kissing those pink lips and running his hands all over that buff body. Danny was doing his own exploring, having unbuttoned Steve’s shirt as well and palming Steve’s sizable length through Steve’s jeans. </p>
<p>Danny felt Steve’s hands underneath his butt cheeks and he was suddenly lifted and pressed hard against the wall. Danny wrapped his legs around Steve at the same time as he ran his hands up and down Steve’s fit body, feeling the sweat and inhaling the spicy scent of male and cologne. With one hand, he undid the snap and zip on Steve’s pants and slipped his hand inside the opening. His exploring paused abruptly when he discovered Steve was commando and there was absolutely no underwear to get in the way.<br/>“Danny,” Steve moaned and bit Danny’s bottom lip, drawing a little blood then sucking it up. One hand on Danny’s ass still supported Danny on the wall but the other was opening Danny’s pants and pushing down the soft material of Danny’s boxer briefs. </p>
<p>Danny felt the thick length of Steve’s cock against his own hardness. He reached between them and slid his hand over and under Steve’s cock, his fingertips swirling on the weeping slit, gathering the moisture to rub on their cocks as they humped.  It was everything Danny wanted and more. His need was escalating and he knew he wasn’t going to last long. </p>
<p>They kissed as they moved their hips in tandem, seeking that delicious release and sliding wet fingers and organs between them, thumping the wall in a kind of errant rhythm. <br/>Danny came first just as Steve was sucking on Danny’s lip and rubbing between his asscheeks. It was breathy, a release that left him panting open mouthed against Steve’s open mouth.  Steve followed within seconds, his whole body stiffening and his hands moving in stutter steps around their groins.</p>
<p>“Oh my God.” Steve slowly released Danny and let him slide down the wall until he was sitting splay legged on the floor. Steve sat down beside him, breathing hard but with a huge goofy smile on his face. “That was intense!”<br/>Danny hummed in agreement and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. He suddenly felt boneless.<br/>“You ok?” Steve asked quietly, afraid now that Danny was going to get up and act like nothing happened.<br/>“Yeah.” Danny leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder. “That drink was something else huh?” <br/>  “You taste better.” Steve kissed the top of Danny’s head. He wondered where this would go next. He hoped Danny would be up for more... sex ... in the future. To say that Danny was a subject of fantasy in Steve’s mental category of fantasies wasn’t a lie and he hoped that Danny at least thought of him as a viable partner. But he could never tell what the blonde was thinking and despite how many times Danny had mouthed off to Steve about a particular subject, they had never actually discussed ... this.<br/>“So now what?” Danny asked softly. </p>
<p>Steve was more than just a partner. He was a friend, a brother, a buddy, a pal. They had shared some intense experiences (Rick Peterson, the proximity bomb, the Sarin poisoning, North Dakota, the vampire Hollis) but Danny had never been sure of the depth of Steve’s feelings. Steve was stoic, closed off from all talk of sex and what not. Yet they had just shared an intense sexual experience. How was Steve going to take that?<br/>“Wanna get some sleep? The auction is tomorrow.” Steve stood up, tucking himself in. <br/>“Yeah. Absolutely.” Danny scrambled to his feet and began to move about the bedroom, turning on the bedside lamp and fishing his sleep shorts out of his duffel. </p>
<p>Steve disappeared into the bathroom. Danny sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, shorts in hand. He brushed back his hair and touched his fingers to his bottom lip. Steve had chewed on it alright; Danny felt the jagged rawness with a fingertip. Still, even that pain had combined to send Danny over the edge. </p>
<p>It had been college since Danny had had a man doing  what he and Steve did. He recalled the boy’s name—Aaron Jeffries, RA—and if he concentrated he could still see the boy’s face.  Aaron looked a lot like Steve but Danny wasn’t going down that path yet. <br/>“Your turn, buddy.” Steve came out in a vapor mix of soap and mint. <br/>Danny rose and bent his head, knowing Steve was watching him yet he felt too awkward to even look into Steve’s eyes. He slipped into the bathroom and went about getting ready for bed.</p>
<p>Steve lay there in bed, covers over his body, listening to the hum of the air conditioning. He felt boneless and grateful yet he wasn’t sure how to approach Danny with either a thank you or an admission of how much he cared. The sex had been so intense and rocked Steve to his core, validating his suspicions and interrupting his deepest thoughts. He had so wanted sex with Danny. There wasn’t a time that Steve didn’t crave that body, or appreciate the fluid way Danny moved or wondering what his skin tasted like. Clearly it was a matter of love and not say a one night stand where they wouldn’t talk the next morning.<br/>Danny emerged and halted Steve’s thought process. <br/> “Ready for a big day tomorrow? I set the alarm.”<br/>“Yeah yeah.” Danny waved his hands and got into bed. Slipping on his side away from Steve, he reached out and turned off the light, getting comfortable with the fluffy pillow beneath his head. <br/>Steve laid down too sliding from his half sitting position. He longed to touch Danny, to tell him how much the blonde meant to him but he couldn’t. He remembered his own dad saying that ‘McGarrett men don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves.’ <br/>“Night, Danny.”<br/>“G’night,” came the muffled reply.</p>
<p>The warrior moved quickly, bare feet soundless on the carpeted floors. Finding the bedroom, he stopped and watched the two men who were asleep. The taller one was dreaming of a far away place that smelled like steel and death while the blonde—his blonde—was restless yet not dreaming of anything. <br/>New Orleans was a long way from Hawaii.<br/>There were forces at work that threatened his blonde. <br/>He could not let that happen.<br/>He must protect the blonde at all costs. <br/>His world depended on it.<br/>The warrior turned and stood guard at the doorway. Nothing would get past him. The blonde was safe. <br/>And tomorrow his Koa would be his again. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Roses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Murders and mayhem</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny was slow at waking, knowing that it was daylight and he was in a strange place once again but not wanting to open his eyes or punch through the thin layers of thick sleep that surrounded him. He had dreamed, an odd dream where he watched a shadow stand silent at the doorway, the features too dark and blended with the night to make any of them out clearly. Yet instead of frightened, Danny felt oddly safe as if the nameless figure had a mission to watch over him and Steve.<br/>
Feeling Steve stirring beside him, Danny reluctantly waded through the veils of sleep to roll over on his stomach and bury his head under the pillow. The last night’s activities hit him like a hammer and he wondered how Steve was going to react to him today. They had a cover as a married couple. Would Steve be affectionate or standoffish? And how should he himself act? So many questions filled his head and he groaned because the after effects of the drink had given him a headache.<br/>
“Gonna take a shower. K?” Steve slid out of bed and Danny immediately missed the warmth beside him.<br/>
“Yep.”</p>
<p>Reluctantly, Danny put all thoughts of the entertaining activities of last night aside and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The folder about the Koa sat on the bed stand; Danny reached for it then thought better of it. Instead he got up, stretched and padded out to make coffee.<br/>
He found a Keurig so he readied 2 coffee Kups and went through the fridge foraging breakfast.<br/>
“Ah good!” He said out loud as he discovered eggs. There was also a carton of milk, a package of what promised to be ‘New Orleans’ finest tasty bacon’ and some orange juice. He could make do with these and immediately got busy, cracking and whisking the eggs with milk and frying up the bacon which did smell rather tasty. When the eggs were cooking, Danny started the Keurig and poured each of them some orange juice. He thought about toast so he opened the fridge door and bent down to look at the shelves to see if there was any jam.<br/>
“BOO!”</p>
<p>Danny yelped and jumped, turning around at the same time with fists raised.<br/>
“Whoa whoa down boy it’s only me!”<br/>
Danny sighed and shook his head. Steve was grinning that goofy rubbery smile but honestly the big lug had come awfully close to getting slugged!<br/>
“Not funny, Steven.” Danny walked over to the stove and checked the progress of the eggs and bacon only to pronounce them done. “Do me a favor? Grab some bread and put it in the toaster. I thought I saw some jam in the fridge before I was so rudely interrupted.”<br/>
“You gotta admit,Danny,” Steve giggled,”it was funny. You came off the floor like a cat!”</p>
<p>“I’m ignoring you, you animal.” Danny retrieved the jam, dished up the hot goods and set their steaming coffee at their places. The toaster popped but Steve was handling that so Danny slipped into his chair.<br/>
“You have a ... um mark,” Steve said, pointing to Danny’s chest.<br/>
“Huh? What?” Danny looked down at his chest and poked around with his fingers. Sure enough, he could see a red suck mark below his right nipple.<br/>
“Guess I got a bit carried away,” Steve said through a mouthful of toast and egg.<br/>
“Well,” Danny began, brow knitted,”we ARE supposed to be married. So was last night part of the cover op?”</p>
<p>Steve turned red but didn’t look up from his plate.<br/>
“Well? Was it?” Danny demanded. He was edgy and was quickly going to lose his temper.<br/>
“I dunno.  It was what it was I guess.” Steve shrugged nonchalantly. He didn’t meet  Danny’s gaze but instead concentrated on his plate.<br/>
“That’s just terrific, Steve. Thanks.” Danny stood and dumped his half eaten breakfast into the bin then rinsed his plate and left it in the sink. “I’m gonna go get showered. I cooked. You clean up.”</p>
<p>Steve sat at the table watching the retreating figure of his best friend and partner as he walked down the hallway. What should he have said? Should he tell Danny that the night before was a dream come true for him? That he’d wanted to do that and much more to Danny for a long time? That he had resisted wrapping his arms around Danny and tilting up that chin so he could kiss him that very morning?<br/>
With a heavy sigh, Steve stood up and gathered the plates and cups. He washed the dishes and left them in the drainer. Finding a dishcloth, Steve wiped off the counters and the stove. He heard the shower turn off and decided to go to the bedroom to speak to Danny. As he passed by the door leading to the outside, something red caught his eye. There was a rose, a single well formed blossoming rose, perched precariously on the window of the door.<br/>
“What the fuck?” Steve murmured and opened the door carefully, so as to not upset the balance and have the flower fall to the ground. It was the deepest red in colour and still had dew on the petals. </p>
<p>“What’s that?”<br/>
Danny was coming out into the hallway, having finished in the bathroom.<br/>
Steve shrugged and held out the flower for Danny to see then did a double take. The blonde was dressed in a pair of black jeans, red shirt and a patterned tie. He had shaved,  and done his hair, slicking back the flow so the lighter pieces from the sun would blend in with the darker ones.<br/>
“You look amazing.”  Steve just stared with open admiration.<br/>
“Yeah whatever. Go brush your teeth so we can get going. Here. Give me that. I’ll put it in some water.” Danny took the rose from his partner, careful to avoid the long thorns on the stem and dug a water bottle out of the recycling. He filled it with water then set the rose inside so it was barely leaning over the top.<br/>
Truthfully, Danny didn’t like the flower. He was never a fan of roses, especially such dark red ones, and there was just something so... unsettling... about this one that he wanted to just toss it out the door. But he told himself he was being silly.</p>
<p>Danny grabbed the packet with information about the art auction and reviewed it quickly. Today marked the first of the auctions and started at 3. He hoped they would find that sword today so they could settle this and go home though what were the chances of that? Realistically? Zero to none. A sword like that would not be displayed for any collector. No, they would probably have to dig around a bit.<br/>
“Ready?”<br/>
Danny grabbed the keys to the rental but Steve took them out of his hand, surprising him with a sneak attack from behind.<br/>
“Neanderthal,” Danny muttered.<br/>
“Yep. And driver.” Steve smugly smiled at Danny and opened the door. “After you, darling.”<br/>
“Funny.” Danny glided down the stairs and was suddenly sorry he had worn long sleeves. It was downright hot in the sun!<br/>
“Let’s go, Wallace. We don’t want to be late.”<br/>
“Fuck you, Christopher,” Danny mumbled but got in the car and off they went, their destination the Downtown Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. </p>
<p>“You have to have a nametag. It’s just easier that way for identification purposes.”<br/>
Danny and Steve stood in front of the reception desk of the grand hotel and slid their doctored passports over to the woman behind the plexiglass barrier. She examined each one rather carefully, entering their names in her database and scanning the passports to have on record.<br/>
“Wallace, baby, why don’t you make my nametag out?” Steve cooed and chucked Danny’s chin well aware that the smaller man despised that very action.<br/>
“I’m SURE you have more than enough time to do your own, DARLING.” Danny batted his eyes at Steve and stepped back, leaving the marker on the table.<br/>
It took Steve a minute there because he had to retrieve their passports as well but when he was done, he moved towards Danny and wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s waist.<br/>
“Let’s go, baby.”<br/>
Danny bit his lip and managed a weak smile then pushed Steve’s arm away only to take Steve’s hand. Satisfied with that, Steve led them to a big open room with rows of chairs in the middle and an expansive stage running the length of the front. There was a podium in the center of the stage and a few chairs towards the back of the stage. </p>
<p>“We can walk around the outside perimeter to see the offerings,” Steve mumbled softy so just Danny could hear him. “Although I doubt we’ll find a Koa there.”<br/>
“Yeah. No doubt they’ll have that somewhere private. I guess we gotta win over one of these dealers.”<br/>
“You should just use your charm,” Steve answered.<br/>
“ME? Oh but I think you can ooze all the charm you want when you want to.”</p>
<p>They stopped in front of a small kiosk displaying photos of antique furniture. The dealer was local and gave them his card, promising the best deals on the best and finest antiques. Danny pocketed the card then tugged on Steve’s hand to urge him to move along.<br/>
“Yeah yeah I’m coming,” Steve said. The space was beginning to fill up and as Steve looked around, his cell phone chirped. Letting go of Danny’s hand, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, though the number was unfamiliar.</p>
<p>“Commander McGarrett? This is Vince Keller from the FBI. I take it you and your partner found the house?”<br/>
“Yes sir, we sure did, thanks.” Steve held up a finger at Danny as if to tell him that he was going to be a minute on the call, and stepped out of the busy room to the hallway.</p>
<p>Danny watched Steve duck out and sighed inwardly. It was going to be a long day of looking at old things he didn’t have a whit of interest in plus the auction later that day. And what the hell was last night all about, Danny thought as he sat down on one of the chairs in the middle of the room. Had it been just the affects of the alcohol or had the need for such intimacy been there all along? Danny knew the answer on his part. Steve and he had been holding hands, getting into each other’s personal spaces and kissing on occasion. And even though the Navy SEAL did crazy life threatening things like jumping off roofs and not waiting for proper backup, Danny had come to depend on him and to see the goodness in the man. Plus, Steve McGarrett was definitely easy on the eyes.<br/>
Grace loved him; to her, he was Uncle Steve, and the 3 of them had had some memorable times together. She loved going over to Steve’s house to swim and Danny enjoyed watching his baby girl laugh and play in the water.</p>
<p>A hand on his shoulder startled him from his reverie.<br/>
“Are you waiting for the auction? It does not begin until 3 pm.”<br/>
The voice was heavily accented French and Danny found himself looking up to a middle aged gentleman with greying temples and a lean rather aristocratic face.<br/>
“Oh no I’m just waiting for my ..” Danny hesitated almost calling Steve ‘partner’ “mate Christopher. He’s always on the phone.” Danny waved a hand dismissively.<br/>
“Perhaps he shouldn’t abandon you in a strange place. I’ve not seen you at one of these before. You are not from around here?” </p>
<p>Danny heard the little voice in his ear, the one that alerted him of danger, but he managed to remain cool and calm, keeping to their cover story.<br/>
“No, we aren’t. We’re from New Jersey. Just got married a bit ago and we’re both interested in antiques. We’ve got a storefront. Now all we have to do is fill it.” Danny stood, and damn the man was tall. He was also long fingered with his hands resembling bony talons. Danny resisted the shiver running up his back.<br/>
“Well you should find plenty here, Mr..... I didn’t catch your name.” The man smiled. Danny looked away lest he think of the teeth in Ray Hollis’ mouth.<br/>
“I didn’t say it.” Danny pointed to his nametag. “I’m Wallace Grey. My mate is Christopher.”</p>
<p>Danny looked around for Steve and thankfully found him coming through the crowd, looking as handsome as always.<br/>
“Oh and here he comes now.” Danny waved his arms above his head, thinking that perhaps this was not appropriate but needing Steve’s solid presence.<br/>
“Hey Babe.” Steve kissed Danny’s cheek then focused his attention on the tall man. “Did you make a friend?” Steve pointed to the man then at Danny and raised his eyebrows.<br/>
“We were merely chit chatting while he waited on you. Enjoy the auction.” With that, the stranger turned and walked away, assimilating in with the crowd.</p>
<p>“Whew! Oh my God what a weirdo.” Danny ran a nervous hand over his hair.<br/>
“Who was that?” Steve asked.<br/>
“Don’t know but happy he left. Gave me the creeps. He reminded me of Mr. Dorry of Dorry, Whitman and Sullivan Funeral Homes. Their motto was ‘the Funeral is a reflection of you.’ And of course they went all out to get you to buy the most expensive of everything.”<br/>
“He can just creep on back to wherever he came from,” Steve said. The man reminded him of a taller Hollis. That in itself was creepy.</p>
<p>“So did the Feds clue you on anything new?” Danny whispered, grabbing Steve’s arm and pushing close against him. Danny felt the sudden jerk of Steve’s body as their thighs made contact, and Danny smirked thinking that he still had some effect on the taller man.<br/>
“Just that there have been 2 mysterious homicides and the ME thinks the victims were killed by teeth of some kind. One  bitten. The other... More like stroked over the skin to tear and pierce. Sound familiar?” Steve waggled his eyebrows. Dammit, standing  next to Danny was beginning to have some type of sway over him. </p>
<p>“Are we going to get the specs?” Danny asked. Coquettishly he pulled Steve down by his lapels to kiss his lips.<br/>
“Mmmm.... yeah uh he’s coming over to the house tonight,” Steve said raggedly, thoughts of what they had done last night going straight to his crotch.<br/>
“Good.” Danny abruptly let Steve go and turned around, surveying the scene. “Come on, darling. Let’s look around. You never know what you might find!”</p>
<p>The day turned out to be long and rather aimless. The auction was interesting to a point although Danny was unnerved because he could swear the French man he had met earlier, the one he decided looked like a wolf rather than a person, was staring a hole through his back. Steve made some connections and in the genial way he carried himself, the dealers seemed to like him.  Danny stood beside his partner, smiling and friendly but he let Steve do the talking. </p>
<p>Since they had no lunch (and Danny regretted not eating all of his breakfast) Steve suggested they walk across the street to the French Quarter and try their luck at a restaurant. It was early by dinner standards—5:30– so he hoped they could find a table somewhere.  Since Katrina, the city was slowly building itself up again, with most places now open after remodeling.<br/>
“Oh Danny there’s Acme Oyster House!” Steve pointed at a marquis halfway down the street.<br/>
“Oysters? Really?” Danny snorted.<br/>
“Come on! They have other stuff too!” Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and propelled the smaller man down the walkway.  And either New Orleans residents were later or earlier for dinner, because the  2 men were ushered to a very nice table by the indoor fountain.<br/>
“A little pretentious?” Danny asked, eyes over his menu.<br/>
“A bit but come on, Wallace, look at the menu!” Steve was practically salivating as he read through the many delightful selections.<br/>
“I think I know what I’m going to have,” Danny muttered. He laid the menu down and looked around. The dining room was certainly beautiful with marble floors and low hanging beams with pots of flowers suspended from them. As the fountain gurgled and bubbled merrily, something caught Danny’s eye. He stared then squinted.<br/>
Was that ,.... no... it couldn’t be....<br/>
Danny reached across the table and gripped Steve’s arm. He tried to form the words but his brain was on 78 and his jaws were dragging at 33 1/3.  Steve looked up and raised his eyebrows, looking at Danny’s stricken face then down at the death grip Danny had on his arm.<br/>
“Danny? What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>And as suddenly as Danny saw him, he disappeared, fading into the woodwork like he wasn’t even there.<br/>
“The .... the warrior... he was....” Danny swallowed and shook his head. It was all craziness. He took a big gulp of his water and leaned back in his chair. Again, that odd feeling  came over him like the feeling in the haunted house; Steve seemed a hundred miles away and the ringing in his ears threatened to obscure any sound that was happening in the here and now.<br/>
“Danny?” Steve swam into focus.</p>
<p>“I’m... ok. Sorry. Thought I saw... something...” Danny patted Steve’s hand and managed a weak smile. “Must be this New Orleans magic.”<br/>
“You sure you’re ok?” Steve asked carefully not wanting to spook an already frightened looking Danny.<br/>
“Yeah yeah.” Danny scrubbed a hand over his face and took another sip of his water. It was cold and felt good going down, soothing his dry throat.<br/>
“Ready to order?” Their server stood next to the table, a pleasant smile plastered on her face.<br/>
Both men looked up and voiced their selections. Danny wanted to go wash his hands and splash some water on his face but he didn’t dare because what would happen if the warrior was there, looking angry and frowning? He knew he would lose his mind.</p>
<p>No, instead, Danny sat and stared at the fountain.<br/>
“You sure you’re ok?” Steve whispered. His dark blue eyes were full of concern as he took in Danny’s pinched drawn face.<br/>
“Just hungry.”<br/>
“You shouldn’t have thrown your breakfast away,” Steve said smugly. “You were mad at me.”<br/>
“I can’t... I can’t do this now. Let’s just have a nice dinner.” And with that, Danny returned to looking at the fountain and trying hard not to think of a native in full battle gear.</p>
<p>“What time is Keller coming over?” Danny asked, unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out of their rented car.<br/>
“He should be here within a half hour,” Steve answered, heading up the walk with Danny trailing in his wake. Suddenly, Steve stopped and bent over to pick something up.<br/>
“Whatcha got?” Danny asked peeking around his partner’s shoulder.<br/>
“Another rose,” Steve said holding it up. It was dark red like the one he had found that morning.<br/>
“Ugh creepy,” Danny said in a dismissive tone. “Bring it in and we will put it into water with the other one.”</p>
<p>Steve juggled the flower and opened the door. It seemed he was all thumbs and as he held the flower, he felt the sharp prick from a thorn.<br/>
“Dammit!”<br/>
Steve dropped the flower on the table and checked his thumb. The thorn had done some damage; a thin trickle of blood ran from the puncture.<br/>
“Oh Babe get that under the water and wash it thoroughly. I’ll find a band—“<br/>
Danny stopped in mid sentence and surveyed the mess in front of him with an open mouth.<br/>
“Danny?” Steve asked then followed Danny’s stare. It was his turn to gasp in surprise. </p>
<p>The rose that had been so lovely and intact in the morning was now completely shredded with petals all over the floor, stamped beyond recognition. The stem was cut into tiny pieces and scattered on the island.<br/>
“What the fuck?” Steve stared at the mess with disbelief.<br/>
“Yeah...” Danny sighed and looked in the narrow closet next to the door. Sure enough, a broom stood up in the back with a dustpan attached. Danny pushed Steve over to the sink while he swept up the crushed petals and emptied them into the bin. Steve handed him a paper towel and he cleaned up the remnants of the stem, adding that to the bin. </p>
<p>Steve held out his thumb which was still bleeding.<br/>
“Apply pressure to it, babe.” Danny searched the cupboards and found a small box of bandaids. He fished out a larger strip and opened it, then applied it to Steve’s wound. Just on a lark, he kissed it and Steve yelped and pulled his hand away. “It can’t hurt that bad!”<br/>
“Sorry. It just... burned when you did that.” Steve looked rather sheepish as he massaged his thumb.<br/>
“Must be from the hot sauce I had on that fish,” Danny joked.<br/>
“Seriously, Danny.” Steve’s eyes were wide in alarm.<br/>
“You’ll live, Steven.” </p>
<p>Danny took the rose and looked at it, carefully holding it between the thorns. It was an identical copy to the one that had been destroyed (by what or whom??) so Danny just stuck it into the water bottle and set it on the table. Keller was due at any time so he turned on the lights in the den and waited while Steve sat on the couch poking his thumb while examining it. </p>
<p>“These two men are antique dealers. Hanford is from the UK” the agent held up a photo of the first victim who had been found floating in the canal  8 days earlier. Danny looked at the photo and turned away, his dinner now a solid lump between his stomach and his mouth. The body was bloated, eyeless, pasty and white with various... things.... hanging on him.<br/>
“Cause of death?” Steve asked, trying to ignore the throbbing in his thumb.<br/>
“The ME said he was dead before he hit the water. COD ... his flesh had been ripped open with what looked like shark teeth. His flesh is pretty much hanging from certain extremities.”</p>
<p>“That’s not good,” Danny muttered. He thought about the zoo and the ‘96 Mets lineup, anything but what was on the photo.<br/>
“The second man, an Antiquities dealer from Hartford suffered a similar fate although his body was found in a landfill.” Keller shuffled the photos and held up another one.<br/>
Danny turned away, feeling like his vomit was going to hit the floor at any minute. He excused himself to the kitchen and got a glass of water, hand shaking as he drank.<br/>
He heard Steve asking the COD and Keller responding that the vic’s body was drained of blood, not an ounce left in him.<br/>
“That’s... not good is it?” Steve muttered. Dammit, his thumb was really hurting!</p>
<p>“Drained of blood eh?” Danny said, returning from the kitchen and perching on the chair arm beside Steve. “Exit wound?”<br/>
“Two puncture holes on the neck.”<br/>
There was a beat of silence but it was broken with Danny scoffing.<br/>
“A vampire? Really?” Danny rolled his eyes, but memories of Hollis holding on to him (what long nails you have ... all the better to tear your neck apart... what big teeth you have... all the better to drink your blood) returned like a freight train and he shivered.<br/>
“Well, perhaps a vampire wanna be. There are lots of crazy people in this city. But there doesn’t seem to be any injuries consistent with the first man’s injuries. They were killed in completely different ways.”</p>
<p>Steve chuckled but it wasn’t a sound of mirth. “So we have two unsolved murders, both antique dealers. Both were planning on attending this auction. Both came into town early. Have you traced their activities each day?” Steve asked.<br/>
“We did. Here’s a timeline.” Keller gave Steve a few sheets of paper. “Read it over, get acquainted with the cases and we will see you tomorrow, undercover, at the Convention Center.” </p>
<p>Danny walked the agent out and waved to him as he pulled out of the gated driveway. Steve had been looking through the folder, still holding his thumb like it was amputated, so Danny locked the door then turned to get some waters out of the fridge. </p>
<p>The rose was shredded once more but its’ petals were not all over the floor. Instead, they spelled out a word on the kitchen island. Danny looked at it, wondering what it meant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>MAKA U </p>
<p>Danger.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Excuse the not putting an accent on the last A of MAKA U.<br/>I’m not sure how to do that with my phone!<br/>Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hospital Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Steve needs some treatment.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to all who have left comments and kudos.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny tried to get comfortable in the plastic bucket type chair several of which lined the walls of the ER.  He checked the clock on the wall for perhaps the hundredth time that evening and was disappointed to see the minutes had barely dragged by.<br/>
Getting up, Danny walked over to the Registration desk and was just about to open his mouth to ask about Steve when a rather harried looking intern scampered out from behind the metal door.<br/>
“Are you the person who brought in the guy with the sore on his hand?” The intern, and upon closer inspection and squinting at the name badge, Danny could see his name was Dr. Hernandez, said in a staccato burst.<br/>
“Yeah that’s me. How is he? Can I see him?” Danny felt his own pulse react to the news; his heart hammered in his chest.<br/>
“Yeah come on back. I need to talk to you before I go any further.”</p>
<p>Dr. Hernandez held the door open so Danny could scurry in and the 2 of them walked down the hallway until they reached exam room 8.<br/>
Danny had last seen his partner an hour earlier that night riding in the ambulance from their cover house. Steve was totally out of it in the back with the EMT’s and they couldn’t really tell Danny anything about Steve’s condition. </p>
<p>So Danny was shocked to see Steve laying on a gurney, an IV going into his arm, his hand with the thorn prick immersed in a basin of water.<br/>
“Steve?”<br/>
Well shit their cover was blown to hell but Danny didn’t care. When Steve had passed out in the den as Danny was trying to get him to drink some water, Danny had picked up the phone and called the EMTs. Steve’s pulse was erratic and he was clammy and sweating at the same time. Worst of all, when Danny was trying to rouse him, Steve just stared blankly ahead as if he was a zombie. And who had the presence of mind during times like these to remember that they were Christopher and Wallace??</p>
<p>Steve moaned a bit but opened his eyes a little.  When Danny saw those slivers of dark blue, he offered up a prayer of thanks that Steve had woke up.<br/>
“Danny?”<br/>
Yeah, big guy, I’m right here.” Danny perched on the side of the bed and took Steve’s other hand to hold it in his own.<br/>
“Wha’happn?”<br/>
“You got really sick. I had to call the ambulance.” Danny gently kissed the hand he was hanging on to, Steve’s skin warm beneath his lips.</p>
<p>Dr. Hernandez cleared his throat bringing Danny’s attention back to the doctor who was holding an iPad and frowning down at it.<br/>
“So you wanted to talk to me, Doc?” Danny asked.<br/>
“Danny... M’cold...” Steve whispered.<br/>
“I’ll have the nurse bring him another blanket,” the doctor said.<br/>
“Thanks. So.” Danny took a deep breath, still holding Steve’s hand. “What’s wrong with him?”</p>
<p>“Have you ever heard of a poison called Tetrodotoxin?”<br/>
Danny frowned. It sounded familiar. His head was a jumble of images and questions so he tried to wade through those in order to effectively answer the question.<br/>
“Ok wait....” Danny held up a finger and suddenly it clicked into place. “My daughter was given a comic book by Tommy McCool, an 8 year old delinquent who unfortunately is in her class. It had zombies. It mentioned that same drug. Some kind of neuro toxin?”</p>
<p>“Very good, Mr. Williams.” A nurse came bustling in and placed a blanket around Steve who snuggled into it with a small smile. Danny smoothed little circles over the skin on the back of Steve’s hand. “It can be taken from a pufferfish and manipulated to be given as a nerve suppressant. The Creole people call it pwazon. I call it totally ridiculous but at any rate, your friend must have been exposed to it through the flower thorn we took out of his hand.”<br/>
“So it was deliberate? That poison crap was on the stem?”  Danny whispered. “The damn rose was stuck on our door.” Danny swallowed hard and looked down at Steve. “So  what’s the prognosis? Is he gonna be ok?”</p>
<p>“Steve should be just fine. We’re giving him fluids and also an antitoxin that’s counteracts the effects of the poison. He can go home within a few hours.”<br/>
Danny let out a sigh of relief he had not realized he was holding in.<br/>
“Hear that, Steve? A couple hours and you’ll be sleeping in your own bed.”<br/>
“You need to report this to the police,” Dr. Hernandez said. “This was clearly an attempt on his or someone’s life. What did you do with the flower?”<br/>
“Uhhhh I chopped it up and threw it in the bin.” Danny brushed a finger along Steve’s cheek. The colour was returning and Steve was not adspale as he had been when Danny had walked in.<br/>
“Give it to the police as evidence. There are some definite groups here in New Orleans with definite crazy ideas.”<br/>
“Yeah for sure, thanks.”<br/>
“All right, Mr. Williams. I’ll be around. In the meantime he will sleep and start feeling better very soon.”<br/>
“Hey, thanks.” And Danny meant it.</p>
<p>Steve was snoring softly now, just a little snorting sound as he inhaled and exhaled. Danny tucked the blanket up around Steve’s neck and then sat back on his perch on the bed.  His mind whirled as he thought about the roses. Someone deliberately poisoned one, probably hoping that either he or Steve get stabbed by the thorns. But... someone else... something else... had disposed of the roses. Destroyed them. Ripped them up and spelled ‘danger’ with the petals.<br/>
Was it a ghost? Was it the warrior who Danny had been seeing? If it was the warrior then could it be that the warrior was trying to help Danny?<br/>
And who had poisoned the roses anyway? </p>
<p>Fuck.<br/>
Danny rubbed his temples.<br/>
“Got a headache, D?”<br/>
Danny ‘s attention focused on Steve and the blonde managed a smile.<br/>
“Hey there you are.” Danny rubbed Steve’s arm. “How ya feeling?”<br/>
“I have ... been better.” Steve smiled and Danny couldn’t help but smile back. “What’s wrong with me?”<br/>
Danny debated on answering with a joke but decided to give it to Steve straight.<br/>
“Someone dipped the rose stems in a poison that affects the nervous system. Like... making you into a zombie.”<br/>
“Serious?” Steve raised his eyebrows and after Danny nodded, he exhaled noisily. “Wow. That’s... so James Bond</p>
<p>“More like X Files,” Danny muttered. “Doc says you can go home in a couple hours. The poison has to leave your system first.”<br/>
“What did you do with the rose?” Steve asked.<br/>
“Something uh shredded it. Like the first one, only....” Danny hesitated.<br/>
“Only...???” Steve waited.<br/>
“Only the petals were arranged to spell out a word. It said MAKA u which I looked up and it means—“<br/>
“—- danger.” Steve finished.<br/>
“Yeah. That.” Danny shrugged. “You know I’m not a superstitious person, Steve. I don’t believe in ghosts and werewolves and all that. But this... this is weird. Plus seeing that um warrior... “<br/>
“I’ll admit the whole thing is crazy,” Steve agreed. “But according to an old Hawaiian legend, the warrior only shows himself to<br/>
Protect those who are worthy.”</p>
<p>Danny laughed. “Seriously?”<br/>
“Danny. Whatever is at play here... we need to consider that ... the supernatural element in this is strong.”<br/>
“Said with a straight face,” Danny snickered. Steve sighed and looked down at his hand where it was immersed in the basin of water.<br/>
“Can I... take my hand out now?” Steve lifted his hand to look at it. He could barely see where the thorn had stabbed him. Instead his fingers were a healthy but pruney pink.<br/>
“Don’t know, Babe.” Danny stood up and went to the door to look out. Nobody was around in the hall. “Hang on. I’ll go to the desk.”</p>
<p>Danny walked down the hallway and tried not to look in the rooms of the patients. He knew that the medical staff had their hands full but he wanted to find someone to ask about Steve’s hand. There was a partly open door with a sign on it that indicated it was a lounge. Danny hesitated and decided what the hell. All they could do is yell at him. And if he just asked them about Steve’s hand it wasn’t like he was asking anyone on break for any definite help. </p>
<p>The lounge was a typical break room with a large coffee pot, a fridge, some tables and chairs and some old but comfy furniture lined up against the wall. Nobody was inside this room either and as Danny turned to go, he saw the flash of ... something.... moving in the corner. He didn’t want to look but he looked anyways, knowing that if he didn’t look he would wonder why.</p>
<p>There stood the Warrior. He was as solid looking as Danny, with a well oiled muscular body and his dark hair tied up in a topknot, held in place by a white ribbon of sorts. In his hand, he carried a spear and his eyes bore into Danny’s.<br/>
Danny felt the air leave the room. He tried to move but was rooted into place, feet like cement. The Warrior came closer and closer, bare feet not making a sound on the carpet. Danny closed his eyes waiting for the spear to enter his body.</p>
<p>“Sir? Sir?”<br/>
Danny opened his eyes and whirled around. A young nurse dressed in scrubs was holding the door open and looking at him.<br/>
“Yeah I uh wanted to ask about my friend’s hand. If he has to keep it in the water.” Danny ducked out of the room and tried to calm his shaking knees. His heart pounded in his ears and his tongue was huge and dry in his mouth.<br/>
“Who is your friend?” She was regarding Danny curiously. “Are YOU ok?”</p>
<p>“Yeah I’m good I’m fine.” Danny tried to laugh but it came out more like a bark. He cleared his throat and stopped in front of room 8. “In here. Just wondering about the water thing... his hand... you know”<br/>
The nurse bustled in and examined Steve’s hand where it rested on Steve’s lap. She looked at her watch and, seemingly satisfied, she picked up the basin of water.<br/>
“Looks like it drained. He can just rest.” She dumped the water in the sink and bustled out holding the now empty basin.</p>
<p>“Hopefully they will be sending you home soon,” Danny said as he resumed his perch on the bed.<br/>
“You ok, Danny? You look weird.” Steve pushed himself further up in the bed and scowled as he touched Danny’s cheek with one long finger.<br/>
“I saw ... it... him... the Warrior....I saw him.” Danny sighed.<br/>
“Here?” Steve asked his voice holding a hint of disbelief.Danny looked at Steve sharply then closed himself off.<br/>
“Forget it. Just lay there and get better will ya? I need some sleep if we’re gonna be able to function tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Steve took Danny’s dismissal as a sign the blonde didn’t want to talk any longer so he said nothing in return. Steve was anxious to get out of bed and go home too. He felt pretty good despite the slight headache behind his eyes.<br/>
“Maybe we can beg off tomorrow?” Steve asked quietly.<br/>
Danny shifted where he sat and thought about that.<br/>
“No. No I really think we need to go. Something is going on. If you don’t feel well enough—“<br/>
“No you’re right! I feel just fine!” Steve wiggled his foot impatiently and looked backwards at his IV. “How much more in the bag?”</p>
<p>Danny turned around and checked on the bag attached to the pole. It was almost done, with just a little liquid collecting along the bottom.<br/>
“Looks like you’re almost done.”<br/>
“We can get out of here and get some sleep.”<br/>
“Yeah,” Danny answered with a nod of his head. He was still thinking about the Warrior in the break room. Was he the only one who could see it? The nurse at the door didn’t seem to be phased by its’ presence at all.<br/>
“Dr. Hernandez!”<br/>
Danny greeted the doctor as he rushed in, white coat open and flapping around his legs as he walked.</p>
<p>“Hello gentlemen.”<br/>
With practiced ease, he took Steve’s hand in his own and turned it, staring at the small nearly unnoticeable mark the thorn had made. Then he studied the telemetry registering Steve’s vitals.<br/>
“Good news! I’m releasing you with an antibiotic cream and orders to keep the wound clean  and covered. I’ll see to it that you have gauze bandages.”</p>
<p>“Super,” Danny muttered. “Thanks, Doc. Appreciate it.”<br/>
“No problem. I’m also prescribing a low dose of a steroid, just for preventative measures.  You can pick up everything at the pharmacy on the ground level.”<br/>
“Hey thanks, Doc. I appreciate it, too,” Steve said sincerely as the doctor took the IV out of Steve’s other hand.<br/>
“Take care you two.” With that, he was gone, no doubt scuttling over to another patient’s bedside.</p>
<p>Danny picked up the meds and supplies as they were leaving the hospital and on the way back, in an Uber that Danny had arranged, Steve started feeling an overwhelming weariness. The headache was still there and perhaps a bit amplified but his hand didn’t hurt. Danny was quiet, sitting in the back seat silently watching the world go by. Steve reached over and took Danny’s hand and held it and felt Danny give him an answering squeeze.<br/>
When they reached the house, Danny ushered Steve inside and insisted that the taller man wash up and get into bed. It was going on 3 AM so they had about 4 hours to sleep before they had to get up and be at  the Convention  Center. Danny followed Steve shortly, stretching out under the sheets and feeling the inevitable pull of slumber. He thought he heard a noise in the hallway but he didn’t get up or open his eyes. He was suddenly bone weary. </p>
<p>Danny dreams.<br/>
It’s not anything PTSD though lord knows he has had enough excitement to last a lifetime.<br/>
No, it’s not anything dark and sinister.<br/>
He’s sitting in front of a huge fire. There are a row of nicely built huts behind and in front of him, ringing the fire yet not close enough for the occupants to feel the heat or flames.<br/>
On his ankle is a tether. It’s made of some kind of grass or plant, woven intricately and strong. Among the weaves on the tether  are precious stones and beads, gleaming in the flicker of the fire.<br/>
Danny is not scared.<br/>
He’s calm. Focused.<br/>
On his right wrist is a bracelet, a cuff, and he rubs it, feeling oddly safe.<br/>
There is someone in front of him now. He blocks out the view of the fire and slowly Danny looks up, eyes taking in the stocky but muscular oiled body, the half hard cock, the taut tummy and painted nipples.<br/>
He reaches for Danny and still showing courage, Danny takes the hand in his. </p>
<p>He’s pulled up to his feet like he weighs nothing and is pressed close to that oiled painted body. </p>
<p>And because Danny doesn’t know what to do, he buries his face against the Warrior, smelling the grass, the oil, the salt on his skin.<br/>
He knows that this man might not come back.<br/>
He knows that morning will bring battle.<br/>
He knows what he knows and yet he can’t let go.</p>
<p>Danny lets  himself be adored because for the Warrior this is the beginning of the longest night.</p>
<p>The Warrior traces an imaginary line with his finger from Danny’s closed eyes to his lips to his neck.</p>
<p>The Blonde is his.<br/>
He must protect the Blonde.<br/>
There is danger everywhere.</p>
<p>Danny wakes with a start.<br/>
The room is dark and he hears Steve sleeping beside him, his breathing even and slow with slumber. They are alone but Danny touches his face feeling the ghosting of a finger.<br/>
Danny sighs and turns over snuggling against Steve, face pressed against a muscular inked shoulder. Danny is so sleepy that he doesn’t notice a cuff on his wrist or a woven grassy tether on his ankle.</p>
<p>In the hallway, the Warrior stands guard against the evil yet to come.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Taken</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny’s worst fear comes true.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>More mystery!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They do not approach the house and Ailani would like to think that it is because of him, because of his presence that the bad things don’t come near. Ailani knows their agenda. He has seen men, and things, like them before. They want to destroy the void, to extinguish the light, to pull the darkness until it covers the good. He will not allow this to happen, for even without his Koa, he is strong and able.<br/>
The Blonde, his Blonde, might be asleep with another man (another strong Warrior though not native and certainly not possessing the island skills that he, Ailani, himself possesses) but he has marked the Blonde with what he can and what he knows. </p>
<p>This is a mad world of strange smells and visions yet Ailani cannot back off his mission. His very name means ‘Leader’ and was whispered to his mother as she held him aloft as the Elders blessed him. For the Blonde, he would die for him  as he has before yet Ailani hopes it does not come to that. Once his Koa is returned and the Blonde is safe he will retreat though not disappear, although he hasn’t actually made up his mind to back off.</p>
<p>There is the sound of a high pitched trilling and both the Blonde and the tall dark haired man reach for the device by their bed. Ailani nods and fades into the shadow. He is ready.</p>
<p>Danny yawns and stretches, arms over his head, covers slipping off to reveal a softly furred chest and muscular shoulders with delicious definitions. Steve glances over and resists the urge to touch. They have a job today and while he feels a hundred percent better than he did last night, the headache, a dull throbbing beat in his head, is still prevalent.<br/>
“Hey now what’s this?” Danny stops stretching and sits up, bare feet appreciating the cool of the planked floor. He stares at his wrist then examines  the cuff bracelet, strong and sturdy and woven with some kind of vine. There are little beads embedded in the weaves. It is intricate and precious and Danny smiles.<br/>
“You’ve got one on your ankle too,” Steve said, pointing to Danny’s foot.<br/>
“What the fuck?” Danny studies the tether and shakes his head. It’s as beautiful as the bracelet.<br/>
“The question is, where did they come from?” Steve asks. He is worried about Danny and about himself but in typical SEAL fashion falls back on his training and mental toughness to hide the tension.<br/>
“Not sure,” Danny says, but he looks pleased and Steve feels a pang of jealousy. Just chalk it up to poison roses and men who resemble vampires. This whole gig is going  off the rails. </p>
<p>“Ok time to get ready.” Steve brusquely pulls some clothes out of his duffel and heads for the bathroom. Danny seems charmed by the accessories and Steve lets the jealousy consume him. It’s in the abrupt way he shaves his face; it’s in the jerky movements of his scrubbing his skin in the shower. He is pissed though he knows he shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>He longs to tell Danny how he feels about him, how the short,  swagger- walking tough cop from NJ reduces Steve to a pool of mush when Steve looks at him. It’s a hard tightrope to walk to be macho Steve McGarrett and want Danny so much. The other night, when Steve had finally got his hands on to that hot body, the words didn’t come out at all but Steve hoped that what he did with Danny conveyed a need and a want. After all, Steve was not a man who could talk about his feelings like so many others could.</p>
<p>Stave grabbed a towel and emerged from the bathroom, tying the rough fabric around his waist.<br/>
“All yours,” Steve gestured towards the bathroom with a wave of his hand.<br/>
“Thanks, Babe. Hey.” Danny stopped right in front of Steve, the heat pouring off his compact body in waves. Steve struggled to maintain his disinterest. “I’m happy you are feeling ok. Had me worried last night.” With that, Danny stood on his tiptoes and reached up to gently grasp Steve by the back of his neck. Urging Steve’s head down, Danny kissed Steve’s lips, a bare brush of moisture, then stood back.<br/>
“Danny...” Steve’s eyes were big and so brilliant blue that Danny found he could not move away. With a little sound, Danny took that step between them and solidly wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist. He rubbed his face against Steve’s chest and inhaled the scent that was shower gel and Steve.<br/>
Steve was rubbing Danny’s back and kissing the top of Danny’s head, liking the tickle that Danny’s bed hair gave him. </p>
<p>“Ok ok gotta get ready.” Reluctantly Danny let go and ducked into the bathroom. Steve sighed and closed his eyes trying to hold on to the feel of his partner’s body. He knew that they needed to get this right, and soon. </p>
<p>Danny kept the cuff and tether on. He had removed them to take his shower then slipped them both back on as he got dressed. They made him feel safe in an odd way and he mentally thanked the Warrior for the gifts for he was the only one who could have given them to Danny.<br/>
And now, as Steve and he walked around the perimeter of the room at the Convention Center , Danny thought about the two bodies found in the canal. They were related, of course they were, and some digging by Kono and Chin back at HQ revealed that the victim who was killed by the Koa had engaged in illegal trading activities, and was funding a group of poachers in South Africa. His import/export house specialized in Rhino Horn Aphrodisiacs and elephant tusks for ivory jewelry.<br/>
Danny wondered if someone on the inside of his enterprise had done him in. That was always a possibility for often times there was no honor among thieves. </p>
<p>For the third time since he and Steve had arrived, Danny rubbed the cuff. It was like a talisman, though before this trip Danny had certainly never believed in anything like that. Danny liked realism and tangible things, not good luck charms.<br/>
Danny thought back to when he was 6 years old and his Dad had given him a lucky rabbit’s foot for Easter. It was authentic with the tiny little nails still clinging to the foot, but it had been dyed a hideous yellow, causing the fur to be matted in some areas. Danny had given it to their dog Lucky, a mixed breed mostly bulldog and Lucky had chewed it up. When the time was right, Danny feigned concern and sadness but he was happy to get rid of the thing.</p>
<p>Steve was talking to an art dealer and Danny zoned out, thinking about the victims and their ties to the art auction world and how he and Steve needed to find some solid leads. So far, nobody had come forward with any invitation to peruse their collections in private though the way Steve was talking to the dealer told Danny that Steve was making some kind of headway. </p>
<p>Danny felt his ankle and wrist tingle at the same time and he stopped walking, focusing on keeping his breathing even.<br/>
“Are you and Christopher looking for anything in particular?”<br/>
Danny smelled the acrid aroma of old dirt and roses. He turned slowly, ignoring the tingle now a full on pulsing, in his wrist and ankle. It was the man from yesterday who had engaged Danny in conversation.  Danny let his gaze flicker over the man, doing a once over as he tried to smile.<br/>
“Yes we are though it’s doubtful that you’d have anything like it,” Danny responded calmly, looking at the man with lowered lashes.<br/>
“You don’t know what kind of dealer I am,” the man responded. “I might have something that would appeal to the native in you, if you catch my drift.”</p>
<p>Danny swallowed hard and tried to maintain a calm facade. Did this man know he and Steve were police, and looking for the missing Koa? Or was he merely fishing?</p>
<p>“Perhaps you would,” Danny said airily. “I’m anxious for the auction to begin so I can see what kinds of things are offered.”</p>
<p>Why was the refrain from Little Red Riding Hood going through his head? </p>
<p>Where was Steve?</p>
<p>Danny looked around but Steve wasn’t where he’d been before. The man in front of him (and was moving closer) was definitely setting off some bad vibes and Danny took a step back.</p>
<p>“Wallace, perhaps I can show you my private collection?”  The man reached out to take Danny’s wrist but was met with his fingers on the bracelet. He immediately hissed and took a step back, holding his fingers with his other hand, a look of hatred passing over his feral features. Smoke curled around his clenched hold.<br/>
“What kind of abomination is this? Who protects you, boy?”<br/>
“Wallace?” Steve was at his side and Danny resisted the urge to sink into him.<br/>
“This gentleman was just... leaving.” Danny smirked and pulled his sleeve up, exposing the whole bracelet.<br/>
“Oh that’s too bad,” Steve said agreeably. The man disappeared into the crowd and Steve pulled Danny close to whisper in his ear. “What happened?”</p>
<p>Ailani was gloating. The blood drinker deserved what he got and more. Agents of the devil always got what was coming to them.  Ailani was proud of his talismans for the Blonde. He was protected from the forces that gathered around him.  Perhaps the Blonde didn’t remember but Ailani did and he hoped someday the Blonde would too.</p>
<p>Steve was talking to Chin on the phone, his body scrunched against the wall in an alcove near the main lobby. Danny was perched on a chair listening as best he could.<br/>
There was more information about Hanford, the UK dealer. His big game operations had been blown wide open the day after news of his death had hit the wire. The other man, now being identified as John Collier, was an investor in Hanford’s company. There you had it; so whatever Tied these 2 together, it had become quite clear that they were up to no good and controlled a modicum of stolen or fenced antiquities. But just who killed them? </p>
<p>Danny thought back to the man who spoke heavily accented English and who had grabbed his arm only to recoil because of the bracelet. Whatever ju ju the bracelet had was repelling any sorts of people who meant harm. </p>
<p>Steve walked out with an air of excitement about him. Pulling Danny over in a corner, Steve placed his hands on Danny’s shoulders and resisted the urge to kiss that pink mouth.<br/>
“So Hanford was partners with Dillon, George Dillon, the second body found in the landfill. Chin tracked down their hidden list of certain ‘unattainable’ antiquities.  On the one was a photo and description of the Koa we were asked to find!”<br/>
Danny frowned. Could it really be that easy?<br/>
“Well then we still don’t know who killed them.”<br/>
“Or what.” </p>
<p>Steve smiled just a little, the corners of his lips quirking up and at that moment, Danny thought Steve was the most handsome man in the world. He hesitated then slid his hand on the back of Steve’s neck and gently urged Steve’s head down.  They kissed, Steve pushing his tongue into Danny’s willing wetness until both were panting open mouthed from the ferocity of the kissing.<br/>
“I’m going to pursue this tonight you know. I’m not letting you get away.” Steve rubbed noses with Danny and gently stroked the smaller man’s face.<br/>
“We need supplies,” Danny whispered, eliciting a quirk of his eyebrows from Steve and a small knowing smile.<br/>
“There’s a BoJangles a block away from the house,” Steve muttered, leaning in to nibble the side of Danny’s neck where the flesh was taut and smooth. Danny shivered from the gentle biting, tightening his arms around Steve’s back.<br/>
Their moment was cut short by an announcement regarding lunch being served in one of the adjoining rooms. Steve let Danny go and grabbed his hand.<br/>
“I’m starving. After lunch we are going to focus on finding out a bit more of your mysterious friend with the French accent.”<br/>
“He’s not my....” Danny frowned as he felt himself being pulled along....”friend.”</p>
<p>Danny pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He had had too much water and felt a bit like a bloated whale. Steve was busy talking to a dealer on the other side of the table, wheedling in only ways Steve could to gather any information they could use. He tapped Steve’s shoulder and with a jerk of his head indicated the exit.  Steve looked up and met Danny’s eyes then shook his head in understanding.<br/>
The bathroom was just off the main room so Danny skirted the perimeter where people were still sitting at tables and eating and walked out to the hallway.  Various dealers stood around talking comparing notes and Danny heard snatches of their conversations as he continued to the bathroom.<br/>
The bathroom itself was crowded and Danny waited to use a urinal, keeping his head down as etiquette demands, then used the facilities and washed his hands. As he pushed against the door with his foot  to go out, Danny felt a prick like an insect bite on the back of his neck. Frowning, he reached back and was immediately doubled over with severe cramps. </p>
<p>“Oh my God...” Danny stumbled out in the hallway but strong hands were lifting him up before he hit the carpet. His brain was going into hyperspace mode and his limbs were too heavy to move. Someone was carrying him and he moaned.<br/>
“Steve? Waz appen....”<br/>
“This man needs medical help! His medical bracelet says he is a diabetic so we’ll take him to the truck to give him fluids and sugar.”<br/>
No that wasn’t right. He didn’t want to go outside yet he felt the heat and humidity all around him.<br/>
The person carrying him was wearing a uniform. Danny tried to move but couldn’t. The cuff on his wrist was uncomfortably warm and he squirmed trying to see what was wrong with it.</p>
<p>“Quit moving around or I’ll have to give you another dose.”<br/>
“Steve?” Danny asked again. His brain hadn’t caught up with his body. Where was he going? “We going’ t’Jangle?”<br/>
“Shut up!”<br/>
A big hand clamped over his mouth and Danny tried to struggle, to get rid of that hand but then another prick to his neck left him boneless and unconscious.</p>
<p>“Danny? You in here? Danny!!!”<br/>
Steve was frantic, checking the stalls and running the length of the bathroom. The men who were there just looked at him like he was mad.<br/>
“Hey, have you seen a guy about five five, blonde hair slicked back, wearing a blue shirt and striped tie?” Steve asked desperately as he searched the wall of sinks. The man he asked shook his head no.<br/>
Steve rushed out of the bathroom and loped down towards the doors to the exit. He stopped at the main desk feeling his heart thump thump thumping in fear.<br/>
“Did you happen to see a guy about 32, blonde hair slicked back, around 5 foot 5, blue eyes wearing a blue shirt? Did he walk by here?” Steve asked the young man in hospitality who was standing behind the desk.<br/>
“Uh he had a diabetic reaction so the paramedic took him out to his truck,” the young man answered.<br/>
“How long ago?” Steve asked, panic gripping him.<br/>
“ uh like 5 or so minutes ago.”</p>
<p>Steve raced out to the parking lot and looked up and down the long driveway running by the Center. He didn’t see any ambulance or anything resembling a truck that would haul paramedics. Fuck fuck fuck this wasn’t good!!</p>
<p>He pulled out his phone and dialed Keller’s number, not caring if he was blowing his cover or not. He hit the man’s voicemail, left a pointed message then raced to the rental car. He knew he had to do something but what? He didn’t know the city. He had no idea of even where the nearest precinct was. Their ID was back at the house and every minute Danny was gone was just another wasted minute.<br/>
Steve punched the steering wheel console and took a deep breath. He had found out the name of the foreign guy who had bothered Danny; he was Frederick Von Affel a French man with some kind of nobility in his lineage. Von Affel ran a large antiques business in New Orleans, just a block from the Convention Center. That was a good place to start, he guessed.</p>
<p>Before Steve could press the ignition button, he felt a strong hand close over his arm. Blinking in the sun and swallowing despite his dry throat, Steve looked over at the passenger seat where Danny had been a few hours earlier. </p>
<p>Ailani could not stop the bad men from taking the Blonde.<br/>
They seemed impervious to the charms.<br/>
Steve. He had to help Steve and he would do just that. </p>
<p>Steve nodded and pulled away from the parking lot, intent on finding his Danny.</p>
<p>Ailani closed his eyes to focus, trying to shut out this mad mad crazy world. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Danny woke up. The first thing he felt was the searing pain in his knee. He was trussed up so his arms were behind him and his legs were tied to his arms. It was a method called hog tying but he was no hog or cow and the pressure this position put on his knee made it throb with every beat of his heart.<br/>
He looked around, head murky and full of cobwebs. His vision swam  and the dim lights from several candles made it worse.  Rolling over on to his side alleviated the pressure but when he looked around his captivity he began to panic.<br/>
The walls were grey and solid. The floor was the same although moss grew here and there in the cracks. There was a door on one side of the room, more like a slab of solid concrete that moved on what looked like a track.</p>
<p>Danny felt his breathing increase as he realized he was alone. </p>
<p>Ailani. Steve. Where were they?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny and Steve are in trouble.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For some reason this chapter was harder for me to bang out. I hope you like it and just remember that Danny and Steve certainly are not out of harm’s way... yet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Is he secured?”<br/>“Yeah we threw him in there. He’s got some candles for light.” The speaker, a big bruiser of a man with a scar that ran the length of his face, took another sip from his metal whiskey flask.<br/>“I don’t need you drunk,” Hissed Von Affel, knocking the flask out of the man’s hand so it fell on the floor, whiskey sluggishly running from the open screw top.”you need to remember that I’m the boss here and your role in this is to listen to what I say!”</p>
<p>Von Affel bared his teeth and in the low light of the house the men were occupying, they looked like fangs, all white and sharp and glistening. <br/>“Ok yeah I’m listening!” The man, whose name was Linden Springs, backed up a step or two. <br/>“Go in there and take off anything you find that is... made of raw materials. He has a bracelet. I’m not sure of anything else.” Von Affel started to pace, hands behind him clasped loosely. “I don’t expect any company. Nobody saw you take him right?”</p>
<p>“Nobody,” Springs  answered. <br/>“Excellent. I’ll be done with him soon.”<br/>Springs put on his hat and practically threw himself out of the door of the warehouse that sat behind an old cemetery in the outreaches of the French Quarter. Springs was not a stupid man but he regretted his decision right now to be involved with Von Affel. The man gave him the creeps and although he was paying well, Springs wasn’t sure that offing a detective would sit well if they were arrested.</p>
<p>As the big man walked through the cemetery, he tried not to be spooked by the various sounds around him. It was the wind, he told himself, hurrying even faster to the old tomb where he had left their captive. At last, he was there.<br/>Springs pulled the stone door away with a push, the slab creaking and groaning on the track. Cautiously he entered, eyes trying at adjust to the dim smoky interior.  In the corner was the cop, still tied up and breathing harshly. </p>
<p>Springs took his time to get to the cop. If he had managed to free himself then Springs didn’t want any surprises.</p>
<p>Danny heard the door creak open and was instantly alert. His muscles and knee hurt from the position he was in but he refused to cry out. Instead, in the time he had been alone, he was trying to think of a way out of his bindings. </p>
<p>The man who had initially taken him was creeping closer, arms out as though he thought Danny would be free of the ropes. When he was sure that Danny was still trussed up, he relaxed and pulled Danny over away from the table, using Danny’s foot to drag him. <br/>“Looks like you’re still being a good boy.” <br/>Danny spit at the man and the phlegm caught his attacker just under his eye. “Dammit!” Springs punched in fury, his fist connecting with Danny’s cheek and snapping Danny’s head back. It was a well connected blow; Danny lost consciousness for a few seconds. </p>
<p>“Knock that shit off or there’s more where that came from,” Springs snarled.<br/>“Fuck you!” Danny shook his head and took a deep breath. The air coming in the open door smelled heavenly and he couldn’t get enough of it.<br/>“Yeah well my boss sent me to check you out.” Roughly, Springs pulled Danny up so he was almost upright with Springs holding on to the ropes that surrounded Danny’s hands. The angle put even more strain on Danny’s bad knee and he cringed and but his lip so as to not cry out loud.</p>
<p>Rough hands found the cuff and pulled it off or tried to. Springs cursed because the ropes were embedded into it so there was no way he was going to get it off without untying Danny completely. <br/>Exasperated, he let go of Danny and Danny toppled over with a low grunt. <br/>“Now what the hell am I going to do with this huh? Boss asks me to get rid of that junk on your arm and I can’t even get it off.” The thug lumbered around the room hands folded on top of his bald head. Danny watched him, trying to figure out a way out of his dilemma. </p>
<p>Suddenly, as if a light bulb was being switched on, the man stopped and eyed Danny craftily. Danny felt a pang of unease; he didn’t like the look on the man’s face.  The man stopped in front of Danny and gripped Danny’s wrists from where they were tied behind him. In his other hand was a wicked looking blade, curved and silvery. Danny’s eyes widened then he realized what the man was about to do.<br/>“I’ll cut it off,” the thug said with a smile. </p>
<p>As Springs leaned above Danny in order to see what he was doing, Danny straightened up and in a flash, pushed against Springs, hard enough to startle the man. He toppled backwards and dropped the knife in front of Danny. Danny rolled over the knife and tried to wiggle out of the ties but he could see Springs was recovered from the sudden blow and was sitting up, rubbing his wrist, a dark look passing over his features.<br/>“You little fucker,” Springs snarled, rubbing his lip which looked to be a bit swollen from Danny’s attempt at freedom. Worked up now, he lunged for Danny and twisted the Blonde around so Springs had easy access to his hands and feet. He reached under Danny, found the knife and brandished it in his hand, smiling as he waved it around.<br/>“Please... please don’t do this,” Danny panted, trying to keep the panic and pain out of his voice. <br/>“I’m gonna cut that damn thing off,” Springs snarled, then drove the flat edge of the knife under Danny’s ropes and the cuff. </p>
<p>Danny wasn’t sure why but he just knew he should keep the cuff on, that it was for safety and without it he’d be vulnerable. Yet, despite Danny’s fidgeting, Springs cut the cuff and pulled it out of the way of the still tight ropes. He threw it in front of Danny then for good measure and because he was pissed at Danny for getting the better of him moments before, stabbed the blade point into Danny’s wrist where the cuff had been.</p>
<p>Danny choked on a gasp, the knife hot and painful in his skin. As Springs pulled the knife out, the thug chuckled and held out the blade so Danny could see it was stained with Danny’s blood.  Danny felt a liquid trickle steadily onto his hands. <br/>“Stupid cop.” <br/>Springs stood up and dusted off his pants, then walked over to the table where the candles were burning. With a sneer, he blew them out, one by one, and stepping over Danny walked over to the door. Danny heard the groaning of the slab as it was moved along the track and then there was nothing. <br/>It was dark.<br/>He was trapped.<br/>And bleeding.</p>
<p>Steve took a deep shuddering  breath and tried to focus on the ... spirit in the passenger seat.   He knew something was there though he couldn’t quite make it out, even if he squinted. There were just shimmery edges and a .. curious depth like something occupied space. <br/>“I need to know where Danny is,” Steve said softly. “They took him and I need to find him. Will you,... help me...?”<br/>The hand on his leg was solid enough and Steve smelled coconut oil and grass and sweat.  “Can you ... show me the direction we should take? Help me find Danny.”</p>
<p>Steve felt somewhat ridiculous talking to someone or something he could not see. Yet, he was convinced that the Warrior was there and right next to him.</p>
<p>For his part, Ailani was determined. He had seen his Blonde carried away from this place of odd smells and old things. The rooms might be renovated but Ailani could sense water and mud had once occupied the spaces. He tried to focus on the talismans he had slipped on his Blonde while his Blonde was sleeping. He saw darkness and rot and could hear his Blonde’s heart beating too fast.<br/>Steve. This man must help him. They were together. A team to fight against the bad men who had taken the Blonde.</p>
<p>Steve was speaking but Ailani had no idea what the dark haired man was saying. Some of these words confused the Warrior so he tried not to listen. Steve was speaking on the strange device holding it out in front of him and becoming agitated as he did so.</p>
<p>“Chin, I need an address for Von Affel. He has some kind of an antiques shop around here and I think I might start there looking for Danny.”<br/>Chin’s familiar calm voice came through the other side, grounding Steve a bit as Chin spoke. <br/>“Got it, Steve. Bon Affel... Louis Von Affel lives at 31 Rue Station. Looks like his shop is at the same address.”<br/>“Copy that,” Steve muttered.<br/>“Have you got the FBI involved yet?”<br/>“No, I was just going to see what I could do myself, so do me a favour and contact them to let them know what’s happening.”<br/>Steve put the SUV in gear and pulled out from the parking space. He punched in the coordinates on the GPS and he was trying to listen to the directions at the same time as he listened to Chin.<br/>“You got it. And Steve? Be careful.”<br/>Steve grunted and threw the phone into the compartment between the seats, switching it off. He still felt the Warrior beside him although the grip on his leg had let up.  It was all just a jumble of crazy but if the jumble helped him get to Danny then Steve would accept it for what it was.</p>
<p>Danny rolled over on to his back and tried not to panic. His claustrophobia had kicked in and he was breathing with shallow light breaths, as if his brain knew that it needed oxygen but his body refused to cooperate. He pulled hard at the rope and felt it give a little. Emboldened by that, Danny wiggled and squirmed and felt one leg get free from the impossible position of the hog tie.  Gently, he straightened out his right leg and felt the pangs of pain in his knee let up.<br/>Danny took a deep breath. He was also cognizant that he was in a tomb and there was only so much oxygen. Just another thing to worry about.</p>
<p>He laid on the floor feeling the tightness in his arms and shoulder as well as the slow drip of blood. He wondered how deep his captor had cut him. Still, the liquid might help loosen the ropes even more. Danny wiggled and then with a sudden burst of energy, tried to kick out his left leg. There was a tug and then a feeling of freedom and his other leg was free.</p>
<p>Danny sobbed aloud in gratitude as he slowly straightened that leg out and sat up with only his hands loosely tied behind him. Still the tautness had been replaced with a loose feeling on his wrists so Danny shrugged off the rope and cupped his injured wrist, holding it close to his body. It was wet and sticky but didn’t seem to be bleeding much any longer. Danny pulled off his tie and used it as a sort of tourniquet  around the wound, knotting it so it wasn’t tight enough to cut off circulation but enough to stop the bleeding. </p>
<p>It was so damn dark in the tomb and Danny cursed aloud wishing he had his trusty flashlight that was in his backpack. Still, he could search for the bracelet that the man had cut off him so Danny scrabbled around, sweeping the floor with his hands until his fingers found something familiar. <br/>Yes! It was the cuff!<br/>Danny frowned, feeling the broken weaves that happened when the man  had sliced it from his wrist. Undaunted, Danny put the whole thing in his jeans pocket and remembered the reaction from the creepy Von Affel guy when the man had brushed his fingers against the bracelet. Something was obviously ... magical... about it. Danny knew he shouldn’t leave it behind.</p>
<p>Besides, Ailani had made it for him, that and his ankle cuff which was, thankfully, still on his ankle. <br/>Danny crawled over to the table and stood up, using the table to boost himself. Once he stood, he felt the dizziness nearly overtake him and he rubbed his neck where the needle of the hypo must have gone in to his skin. His mouth was incredibly dry and his tongue felt thick.  He wondered what he had been given then shrugged it off.  Fuck them, he thought furiously. This was not going to go the way of Hollis. <br/>He ran his hands along the table until he found a pack of matches, accidentally knocking <br/> over a couple of the candles with his blind search.  Danny fumbled with  opening the matchbook and ripped a match out of the main compartment. Closing the book, he struck the head of the match against the dull flint  strip on the matchbook that he had found with his thumb.  To Danny’s shock, the match burst into flame and with shaking hands, Danny lit the first candle then the second, ignoring the third. Candles would burn oxygen, Danny knew. The less competition for air the better.</p>
<p>With light illuminating the tomb  now, Danny pulled off his tie around his wrist and looked at his cut. It was a deep looking puncture wound practically centered in the flesh between the bones in his wrist. Hurriedly, Danny replaced his tie around it and looked towards the door. If he could get it open from this side, he’d be out!<br/>Danny limped over to the door and examined the slab. There was a handhold halfway down the smooth door so Danny gripped it and placed his shoulder against the slab, trying to move it aside.  His knee didn’t like that and while Danny made progress of about a foot, <br/>He was still not able to slip through the opening and worse yet his knee was protesting loudly.<br/>And to make matters worse, the effort he had expelled made his cut open up again. A trickle of blood rolled slowly up his arm as he kept his hands on the door.<br/>He had to get out though so he ignored the blood and pushed hard with all his energy to move the slab. It opened another foot or so, and Danny hung his head breathing in the fresh air. He didn’t know how long it had been since his thuggish friend had left but Danny knew instinctively that he had to be fast lest the man return.  Eyeing the opening, Danny tentatively slid one leg outside, then followed with his torso, bending at the knees and sliding  out as best he could. </p>
<p>Rough stone scraped his arms and cheek but he gritted his teeth and kept on, wiggling and squirming until he was free from the mausoleum,  thank God; the effort caused him to fall on his hands and knees  on to rough stones on a pathway. The sun was going down and Danny wondered how long he had been inside the tomb from hell. He wondered where Steve was and if his partner was in trouble or was going to come help him. He thought about the Warrior... Ailani... where was he? Thinking of his Warrior, Danny patted his pocket where his cut cuff was stuffed.  It made him feel better just knowing it was safe.</p>
<p>Crouching down behind the assorted grave markers and above the ground crypts, Danny limped towards what looked like an exit but immediately froze when he heard a familiar voice.<br/>“Fuck! He’s gone!”<br/>Quickly, Danny crouched low behind an angel with a lute statue and peered around at his captor’s figure standing halfway between Danny and the exit. The man whipped his phone out of his pocket and began to speak in French or what sounded like French. <br/>Looking around, Danny surmised that he could never get up over the wrought iron fence with the standing points that surrounded the cemetery, especially with his bum leg. The only way out was the exit with gates that were now open. </p>
<p>Springs turned and marched back towards the exit, rubbing his head much the same way as he had when he was in the tomb. Surprisingly, he didn’t leave but sat down on one of the granite and marble low crypts. Danny watched willing him to just fucking go away and within a few minutes, the man stood and ambled off, exiting the gates and walking up the small paved lane next to the cemetery.</p>
<p>Steve parked in front of the sprawling manor house and checked his gun.  His service revolver was fully loaded and he had 2 spare clips on his belt. Swallowing his trepidation, the long legged brunette slid out of the front seat of the SUV then paused. He wasn’t sure if the Warrior was still with him and he looked hard at the passenger seat but in the fading light Steve couldn’t see anything.<br/>“Look, if you’re here, I need your help finding Danny. I’ll take care of Von Affel. You look for Danny. He could be anywhere.”  Steve blinked a couple times but there wasn’t a response so he turned around, shut the car door, and quietly approached the porch, every muscle tense, senses on high alert. <br/>Blending into the shadows, Steve crept along the length of the stone house, assessing the windows and wondering if there was a back door he could use to slip inside.</p>
<p>Lights were on in various rooms although Steve was not tall enough to see inside the windows. They were placed evenly along the length of the house and installed higher up because of the threat of floods and Hugh water.  So it was with blind instinct that Steve approached the back door. A porch with a small overhang over the rear door was the only way inside. Steve crept up to the door, taking the 3 wooden steps with quiet footfalls, his gun out and ready in his hands. </p>
<p>Steve slid his hand down the wooden door until he found the doorknob. Giving it an experimental twist, he realized it was not locked. With every sense screaming at him to run the other way, Steve tamped down the doubting voices and turned the knob carefully ... slowly... and with a click the door opened.</p>
<p>Using both hands now, Steve gently pushed the door open until it was wide enough for him to get through.  No light helped guide him in this anteroom and he blinked trying to get used to the mottled dark. Because he heard nothing, Steve took a step forward and then another and another until his feet carried him into the next room, which was some kind of funeral parlor at first glance. </p>
<p>With his gun still out in front of him, Steve took a quick look to the left, seeing only a large mahogany coffin on a stand next to the wall. To the right was a podium and several chairs lined in a row.  It was disconcerting. He wondered where Danny was and hoped his partner was not in one of the coffins.  Just as Steve continued his progress into the room, he felt rather than saw a hand on his arm, warning him, telling him to get back. Quickly, Steve tried to retreat but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the swinging Koa that caught him right at shoulder level. His arm exploded with pain and he stifled a scream. Still holding on to his gun, Steve fell to one knee and scrabbled to see his attacker. Once more the club came down, this time on the back of Steve’s skull. It was not hard enough to do permanent damage but it was a blow nonetheless and it sent Steve sprawling on to his stomach on the floor, unconscious, his last thought of Danny.</p>
<p>Ailani felt the anger rising in his gut as he watched Steve fall. The gun he held went helmet skelter across the floor but that was not what held the Warrior’s attention. It was the Koa held in the hand of the evil ferret faced man who was now standing over Steve. <br/>It was Ailani’s Koa. <br/>This was war.</p>
<p>Danny kept hidden until he was sure he was alone and the man who had attacked him was out of sight. Slowly he stood up, fighting the dizziness from loss of blood and the drugs earlier, and as fast as he could, darted over to the next biggest statue to crouch behind.  <br/>He wasn’t sure where he was or what he was going to do after he got out of the cemetery but he wanted to get to a phone and call Steve first and foremost. <br/>Neither Danny nor Steve knew that Keller and the FBI refused to intervene when Chin had contacted them, telling them that  Danny and Steve were in danger. Keller had cited that they needed to keep their cover and although Chin argued with Keller, the man refused to budge. Chin had tried to call Steve but the phone went to voice mail. So while Danny could hope that Steve had brought in police to help, the whole area looked abandoned because no assistance was coming. </p>
<p>Danny ran out through the gates of the cemetery and down the paved lane  between the fence and the house that took up much of a city block!    No sign of the man who had brought him here nor the people who might be lurking inside the building. </p>
<p>At the end of the lane, which joined to a side street, Danny spied their rental SUV. Almost crying with relief and happiness, Danny ran over to the car. It was locked but Steve would have the keys and where was Steve anyway? Danny looked fearfully at the building behind him, the one he had run beside coming down the lane. Was this where Steve had gone? Danny thought about breaking the window of the vehicle with a rock and having the alarm go off so the police would get curious and investigate. He had a bad feeling that Steve had gone into that house/shop, and was in trouble. <br/>“Looking for someone?”<br/>The cold muzzle of a gun pressed hard against Danny’s neck. Shit. He had been so wrapped up in looking into the vehicle he hadn’t heard or seen the man who had stabbed him in the tomb. And now here he was again. Raising his arms in surrender, Danny began to walk towards the front porch as his captor pressed the gun to Danny’s skin. This was ridiculous, it was wrong and it was unfair. Danny felt the anger rising in him as he walked up the steps to the front porch and where the hell was everyone anyways?? Wasn’t New Orleans a happening place? People overflowing in the streets having parties??!  It would be funny if the situation wasn’t so dire.</p>
<p>“Open the door,” Danny heard the man say. Pretending to obey, Danny reached for the handle and was going to throw an elbow to his captor but something happened to take both of them by surprise.<br/>Springs wasn’t expecting an attack from behind but suddenly there was a strong forearm around his neck and the presence of a solid body behind him. Startled, the thug dropped the gun and tried to wiggle out of the Warrior’s grasp but could not. Ailani cut off Springs’ airway just enough to cause loss of consciousness and the man fell to his knees then sprawled face down on the porch.<br/>“Thank you,” Danny said, giving his rescuer a shy smile. He picked up the gun then held his finger to his mouth in a ‘silent’ gesture and crept along the porch to the window. It was completely dark. Danny cursed and walked back to the door. Taking a deep breath, he reached down for the door handle but a hand on his hand stopped him. </p>
<p>Danny felt the warmth of a solid body behind him, the presence of the Warrior who was standing just close enough not to be touching Danny but so close Danny could actually feel breath on his neck. My God, his Warrior was real! Flesh and blood real! <br/>“Are you telling me,” Danny asked softly,”that I... that we shouldn’t go in this way?”<br/>“Steve.”<br/>Danny felt fear grip his guts. <br/>“What about Steve?” Danny hissed, turning around until he was face to face with the Warrior. He was as solid as Danny; there was no translucence, no shaky lens. This guy was real!<br/>“I will take care of him,” Ailani said, reaching up to stroke Danny’s face. Danny leaned into the touch, momentarily forgetting himself. The Warrior’s hands were smooth and strong. <br/>“Well then I’m helping.” Danny turned his head just enough to kiss the palm of one of Ailani’s hands. “Let’s do this.” <br/>Danny reached for the doorknob again and turned it, trying to be as quiet as possible. He slipped inside followed by Ailani close behind. They had to rescue Steve. That was first and foremost.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Into the Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>More hijinx with our 2 intrepid boys</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny felt the solid presence of Ailani behind him as they crept through the door and into the first room. It was nondescript, full of nothing really, and probably used as a greeting room or just for storage. The problem was, as Danny thought about it,  there wasn’t a lamp or a light on and he couldn’t really see in the dark. <br/>Ailani squeezed Danny’s shoulder then stepped in front of the blonde, putting his finger to his lip in the universal ‘quiet’ pantomime and he angled his body so he was mostly in front of Danny, ready to take the hit. Oh how his gestures, his selflessness reminded Danny of Steve and that brought a stab of disquiet to Danny’s troubled mind. </p>
<p>Where was his tall dark haired chaotic man? Danny swallowed hard feeling his throat tighten and blaming it on the drugs he’d had injected into him.  Steve had to be somewhere in this house and Danny hoped he was still alive.</p>
<p>Stifling a nervous giggle now, Danny nearly stood up  from his  crouching stealthy position  as he and Ailani entered into the second room. Danny’s breath caught as he looked at the closed coffin on one side and the chairs and podium on the other. What was this place?  A fucking funeral home?? Danny frowned and waited for Ailani to decide their next course of action.</p>
<p>In the span of the seconds it took for Danny to follow Ailani’s lead and move to the coffin, Danny’s semi-confused brain started to go through mental gymnastics. He thought about the first time he and Steve met, drawing guns at each other like gangsters in the garage of the McGarrett home.  Images of Steve shot, hurt, jumping, confronting criminals in the Rendition Room, teaching Grace  how to surf, smiling that loppy gorgeous grin across the table at Danny—they all whizzed by in his head like on a demented merry-go-round. The damn drug was still in his system and still affecting him but the images seemed close enough for him to pull them down and hold them close. </p>
<p>A hand on Danny’s shoulder grounded him. He blinked once, twice, then focused on his Warrior who motioned Danny over to the coffin. Danny nodded and stood up, sliding his fingers under the top part of the lid until he found the catch. Danny pressed it and with Ailani’s help on the other end, slowly opened it.</p>
<p>Steve was inside, pale and still, hands folded across his chest in supplication. This couldn’t be happening, Danny thought! His breathing sounded loud in his ears as he reached out to touch his partner, willing for the flesh to be warm. </p>
<p>“Steve?” <br/>Danny was pushed violently aside and unprepared, he fell to the floor with a soft grunt. There was someone standing over him, his outline tall and thin and Danny knew instinctively it was Von Affel. <br/>“Your friend is still alive but not for long. Oh how I have savored this, to make you watch as I kill him and to then take care of you.”<br/>“Fuck you,” Danny hissed, straightening up his leg. Where had the gun gone? He no longer had it in his hands.</p>
<p>“Looking for something?” Von Affel held the gun with two fingers, dangling it temptingly out of Danny’s reach. “All of this, preparation, to make you fall into my little trap. All of the foolishness of that sword and those poor pitiful fools who tried to re sell it ...” Von Affel made a click in his throat sound, reminding Danny of a dry rustle of leaves. </p>
<p>“You stupid bastard,” Danny muttered, getting some satisfaction in the minute way Von Affel’s face crumpled just a bit. “You don’t get it do you? We’re going to shut you down, arrest you and make sure you don’t  see daylight for a very long while.”<br/>“My dear Detective,” he snarled. “I don’t wish to put up with daylight.”  He yanked Danny up by Danny’s arm, hands closing around the wound in Danny’s wrist and for a second, Danny saw dots dance in front of his eyes. “Now then, let me explain how this is going to play out.”<br/>Danny gritted his teeth and tried to break the grip but the drugs seemed to be affecting everything he was doing so he just struggled weakly.</p>
<p>“I am going to finish off your dear Commander, gutting him with this ridiculous sword while you watch his blood drain out. I may even have a sip or two. Oh,” Von Affel laughed a particularly creepy laugh, “I should offer you some.”<br/>“You’re a fucking  maniac,” Danny muttered. He turned his head to get away from that breath, like the flowers of the dead, that caressed his face. Visions of Hollis swam in his head. Where was Ailani? Had he just been dreaming that his Warrior was with him?<br/>What big teeth you have... all the better to eat you with...</p>
<p>Von Affel’s talons found the wound on Danny’s wrist and pressed hard into it. Danny gasped and nearly fell from the shock and pain but somehow kept on his feet. He knew he had to help Steve and he tried to get his thoughts together. <br/>Where was his Warrior?</p>
<p>Wouldn’t anyone help him?</p>
<p>Ailani stood his ground at the foot of the coffin. While the thin predatory man thing was busy with his Blonde, Ailani tried to rouse Steve. He was shaking Steve’s leg then held Steve’s hand, mentally telling Steve to wake up,  to move, to prepare. While the awful creature was busy with his Blonde, Ailani could help Steve fight off the blow he was about to get.  It would be fatal if Steve did not wake up.</p>
<p>“You should have stayed in your little tomb, precious,” Von Affel said to Danny. “I’ll take you back there and we’ll have some fun.”<br/>“You’re sick,” Danny yelled and twisted away, his wrist bearing the brunt of his actions so his arm fairly screamed in pain. Von Affel was surprised for barely a second but that was time enough for Danny to throw his body against the taller man and knock him to the floor, with Danny on top of him. </p>
<p>“Get up Steve get up get up get up!”<br/>Steve stirred, something in his inner conscious guiding him to the present. He saw the Warrior clear as day standing next to where he was laying and that, to his horror, was a coffin. A hundred percent and accounted for, Steve sat up and used his arms to launch himself out and away from the cushioned horror. Ailani nodded and pulled Steve the rest of the way out so he was on his feet beside where Von Affel and Danny were sparring.</p>
<p>Springing to action, Steve took the gun the Warrior gave him and tried to aim it at Von Affel but since Danny was in the way he couldn’t get a good bead on the freak.<br/>There was a sharp moan from Danny and then Von Affel was up and heading for the door. Steve aimed and fired, the Glock giving him a satisfied kickback but even though Steve KNEW he had hit the man, Von Affel kept going.<br/>“Danny!” Steve dropped to his hands and knees to check on his partner and Steve felt Ailani also, holding on to Steve’s shoulder and looking him over. <br/>“Yeah yeah look I’m ok. Let’s just go get him,” Danny pushed Steve away and sat up cradling his now bleeding wrist in his other arm. <br/>“You’re hurt,” Steve pointed out. “Let me see.” <br/>“Gotta go get him,” Danny said emphatically. “Help me up.”</p>
<p>“Geezus, Danny, that looks bad.” Steve took off his own shirt and wrapped it around Danny’s wrist, applying pressure to where it had been punctured.<br/>“Steve.. come on... we have to get him..,” <br/>“Ok we will Danny ok? Just.. take it easy and we’ll—“<br/>“Help is here.”<br/>Ailani stepped back after he said that and blended with the shadows.  His Koa had disappeared with Von Affel but he had no desire to chase after him with his Blonde hurt so badly.</p>
<p>Steve cocked his head and listened as the sirens grew closer until they were right outside the door on the street. The room was filled with red and blue reflections spinning around on the walls. Danny closed his eyes lest he watch it and make him dizzy. <br/>“Ok hang on I’m sure the EMTs can do something about that cut.” Steve gently stroked Danny’s cheek.<br/>“Ailani?” Danny whispered. There wasn’t a response and Danny couldn’t see him in the room. He closed his eyes and felt a wave of weariness overtake him. He was grounded by Steve’s hand on Danny’s leg. <br/>“I don’t know, buddy. He had been here,” Steve answered helplessly. </p>
<p>“We gotta put this guy away, Steve. He’s responsible for the two murders in the canal and I’m pretty sure he has the Koa.”<br/>“Yeah, Danny, I can vouch for that. He nailed me pretty good with it.”  Steve rubbed the raw and tender skin where the Koa had bruised him.</p>
<p>“We gotta get it back for Ailani.” Danny squirmed around on the floor and tried to stand up but was met with Steve’s hand on his shoulder.<br/>“Don’t, Danno,” Steve said quietly using the pet name that Grace called her Daddy. “Here come the EMTs. Let them look you over. I’m going to brief whatever cops they sent.”</p>
<p>Danny watched Steve talk to the police from the back of the truck that the paramedics had arrived in. They sincerely wanted Danny to go to the hospital to get checked out (he probably needed a pint of blood said one and the other said Danny should be examined for whatever drug Von Affel had given him.) and that was still on the table but Danny wanted to know what information Steve had gleamed from the police.  He watched as his tall partner spoke with officers from the  NOPD and their FBI liaison, Vince Keller. Keller’s face was a dark cloud and Danny knew he and Steve had revealed that they’d broken their cover and all was out on the table. Von Affel had disappeared; the search party was currently going room to room in the Antiquities Slash Funeral Home but so far had turned up nothing.</p>
<p>Danny stood and regretted it. The ground rose up to meet him and he shook his head and closed his eyes trying to get his bearings. Damn that drug. Still, Danny persisted, hobbling over to where Steve and Keller were talking and stood next to Steve, using his warm solid body as an anchor while they talked. <br/>“Did you get the guy with the scar?” Danny sputtered, holding on to the bandage the paramedics had wrapped on his wrist. <br/>“No there wasn’t anyone here besides you and McGarrett,” Keller answered, pursing his lips. He was not happy. </p>
<p>“Ailani-I mean I put him out in a choke hold. He was on the front step.” Danny ran a hand through his disheveled blonde hair. He needed a shower; he positively reeked of sweat, blood and an acrid smell he couldn’t identify.<br/>“So this whole operation is botched to hell,” Keller began but Steve cut him off.<br/>“Botched to hell but it took my team in Hawaii asking the governor to put pressure on you boys to come and find us.” Steve’s eyes were hard and his mouth was set in a grim line. “Danny could have died in that fucking tomb.”</p>
<p>Danny looked at Steve in surprise. While it was true that Steve always seemed to look after him, they had a reciprocal need to take care of each other and normally, Steve would not be this upset. Danny was capable of taking care of himself in a pressure situation.<br/>But Steve continued, on a roll now, using his index finger to poke at Keller’s chest as Steve talked.</p>
<p>“This was a mess before we got here. You used us to draw this maniac out into the forefront and then to discover Von Affel was a friend of Hollis, the perp we took down in New Zealand....” Steve shook his head as if he was looking at the biggest idiot in the world. “We could have used that knowledge. But YOU didn’t bother to tell us. It was my own team who did.”<br/>“You had an assignment—“ Keller began and Danny thought what an idiot to argue with a wound up Steve McGarrett.<br/>“And we will finish it out but not as Christopher and Wallace. It’s McGarrett and Williams and we WILL utilize your facilities and contacts to track Von Affel down and retrieve the Koa.”<br/>Steve turned and grabbed Danny’s arm, propelling the smaller man among  the groups of police who were investigating the grounds around the building.</p>
<p>“Fuck that guy,” Steve muttered. Suddenly he stopped in front of their rental car. “Are you good? You wanna go to the hospital?”<br/>“Naw I’m good.” Danny waited until Steve clicked the key fob then opened the door and got in. “The medics did a good job on this,” he held up his wrist. “And frankly, babe, I could eat something even if it’s drive through salt and fat.”<br/>“Drive through it is, Danny,” Steve managed a smile and ignored his own headache. It had been a long night already but when he saw the Golden Arches, he pulled smoothly into the drive through lane.</p>
<p>After fries, burgers and sodas, both men were quite full and satisfied. Danny wiped his hands and mouth on a napkin and stuffed it into the trash bag. Looking at Steve, Danny saw that there was a speck of Mayo or ketchup or some sauce on Steve’s cheek so Danny took a clean napkin and wiped it off, catching Steve by surprise.<br/>“Hey!” Steve put one hand up as if to defend himself.<br/>“You slopped, you putz. Next time I’ll let it stay there and you can walk around and have people pointing at you,” Danny finished, slumping in his seat. He was suddenly terrifically tired. <br/>“Well thanks for that,” Steve answered but there wasn’t an ounce of anger in his tone. He glanced over at Danny and saw his partner’s pale face. “Let’s go home.”<br/>“I won’t argue with that,” Danny agreed. </p>
<p>Danny got out of the car and closed the gate to the driveway. Every step he took reminded him of how tired he was, how emotionally and physically battered he felt, and he couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and set things right. He was bothered that Springs and Von Affel were out there somewhere, planning their next moves, but between the drugs, the tomb, and the altercation Danny had nothing left in the tank.<br/>Steve must feel the same way, Danny surmised as the 2 of them walked up the steps and Steve dug around in his pockets for the keys. As soon as he produced them and unlocked the door, he held it open so Danny could go in and slipped inside himself. </p>
<p>“Ailani?” Danny whispered. He thought he saw movement to the right of the kitchen sink. It was just a shadow but right now, the Warrior would be a great comfort. <br/>Steve’s phone rang and as the Commander fished it out of his pocket, Danny stretched and walked over to the sink to get a drink of water and to check out his Warrior. </p>
<p>Just as Steve said ‘McGarrett’ to answer the call, there was a terrible roar and Danny crouched down, hands over his ears. Strong hands grabbed him and held him aloft, his feet off the floor a good 6 inches as he dangled. <br/>“Steve!” He yelled but there was nothing but malicious laughter behind him as Steve was tasered from Springs who held the device. </p>
<p>Danny looked down into the red ferocious eyes of an animal as Von Affel bared his sharp white fangs.<br/>All the better to eat you with ....</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was a hard chapter for me to write. I’m not good at police procedurals but I needed to get the boys back to their home...  thank you for reading and thank you for your nice comments.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Finale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny and Steve get it done.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny got out of the car and closed the gate to the driveway. Every step he took reminded him of how tired he was, how emotionally and physically battered he felt, and he couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and set things right. He was bothered that Springs and Von Affel were out there somewhere, planning their next moves, but between the drugs, the tomb, and the altercation Danny had nothing left in the tank.<br/>Steve must feel the same way, Danny surmised as the 2 of them walked up the steps and Steve dug around in his pockets for the keys. As soon as he produced them and unlocked the door, he held it open so Danny could go in and slipped inside himself. </p>
<p>“Ailani?” Danny whispered. He thought he saw movement to the right of the kitchen sink. It was just a shadow but right now, the Warrior would be a great comfort. <br/>Steve’s phone rang and as the Commander fished it out of his pocket, Danny stretched and walked over to the sink to get a drink of water and to check out his Warrior. </p>
<p>Just as Steve said ‘McGarrett’ to answer the call, there was a terrible roar and Danny crouched down, hands over his ears. Strong hands grabbed him and held him aloft, his feet off the floor a good 6 inches as he dangled. <br/>“Steve!” He yelled but there was nothing but malicious laughter behind him as Steve was tasered from Springs who held the device. </p>
<p>Danny looked down into the red ferocious eyes of an animal as Von Affel bared his sharp white fangs.<br/>All the better to eat you with ....</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Warrior watched in horror as the Blonde was tossed around like a rag doll. The tall ghoulish man had a hold of Danny by the throat and was holding him aloft while Danny tried to pull those monstrous hands off from around his neck so he could drag in another mouthful of air to his tortured lungs. Danny didn’t know where Steve was oh God he had lost Steve was he still on the floor or had Springs picked him up? Where was Steve? Danny kicked out a leg, connecting with his captor, who made a soft grunt.  <br/>Steve. Where was his Steve? </p>
<p>Von Affel suddenly threw Danny aside almost carelessly. Ailani had anticipated such a move so he had moved in towards the table and it was his good instincts that prevented Danny from going face first into the stout table leg. The Blonde was gasping for air and rubbing his throat but he was also scrabbling to get up.  Danny had to find Steve. Where was he?</p>
<p>Von Affel, meanwhile, had turned on Steve.  The ghoulish man monster was standing over Steve, legs on either side of Steve’s prone torso. Steve was unconscious; his head was turned to one side and his eyes were closed. <br/>“I’ll kill you, McGarrett, like you killed Hollis!” The last word, the name of his friend, came out more like a hiss than a word. Von Affel bared his fangs, wicked white and sharp in the faded light.  He held the Koa aloft.<br/>“Leave him alone!” Danny called out but he could barely speak from the assault on his neck and throat so what he said came out as gibberish.   But Danny’s legs worked and he stood up, using the edge of the table for balance, and hurled himself at the Vampire. The skinny ghoulish thing bent down on his knees to where Steve lay helpless, still under the taser’s effects. <br/>“Just a bite,” crowed Von Affel happily but as he reached for Steve he was met with a solid body in the way, a body that smelled like sweat and coconuts.  The Vampire screamed a curse in an unknown language as Ailani pushed him backwards, right towards Danny who had joined the party.  In the melee, Von Affel lost hold of the Koa, which Danny immediately brandished, doing his best Robinson Cano impression.</p>
<p>“You want some action, you fucker?” Danny yelled, brandishing the Koa in one hand. Adrenalin was propelling him now, and he was fueled with the fire to keep his partner safe. <br/>“Both hands on the hilt, Daniel!” Ailani screamed, and if it was in a different language well then Danny understood him perfectly.</p>
<p>Danny held the Koa like a baseball bat and, blade turned on Von Affel, decapitated the Vampire with one smooth stroke. </p>
<p>There was a second of silence, save for Danny’s heavy raspy breathing, until a soulless scream pierced the night. Von Affel was dissolving, turning, crumbling, his form turning to ash as he melted into the rug. Danny watched, somewhat detached, trying to walk on this side of sanity yet knowing he had lost that privilege long ago. The skull was the only thing remaining, yellow with age and barely formed, laying askew on the pile of what had once been bones. Danny raised his head, chin up, and brought down one of his feet in a heavy stomp that reduced the skull to mere bone fragments. <br/>“Fuck you.” </p>
<p>Steve moaned and Danny scuttled over to his partner, carefully avoiding the mess on the floor. <br/>“Danny?” He lifted his head and Danny was there behind him, pulling Steve up and against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around his Navy SEAL. <br/>“You got tased, Babe. You ok?”<br/>“You sound funny,” Steve grunted. He tried to turn his head to look at Danny but Danny held him fast.<br/>“Steve. Just wait. Just... give me a minute.” Danny inhaled and squinted towards the table where he’d last seen his Warrior. Ailani was there, as clear as either of them, face warm and familiar. <br/>“My blonde.” He smiled, deep dimples showing on either side of his mouth. <br/>“Yes. Your blonde.” Danny smiled back.<br/>“Who... who are you talking to?” Steve looked around, trying to squirm out of Danny’s grasp.</p>
<p>“Take your Koa, my brave one.” Danny held the sword, which had been laying beside his leg, out to the Warrior.<br/>“Hey Uh Danny we need to take that home! It belongs to the—“<br/>“It belongs to Ailani. And he will take it.” Danny locked eyes with the stocky  muscular Warrior as Ailani shuffled closer. Steve was still looking everywhere.<br/>“Mahalo.... Danny.” Ailani took the sword and pressed it to his lips, kissing it. <br/>“Thank you, too,” Danny said. Steve had quit moving and was simply staring in front of himself. “I will... I will always be your....”</p>
<p>“My Aloha’ia,” Ailani finished, calling Danny his ‘beloved.’ Ailani reached out to stroke one warm finger along Danny’s cheekbone, gathering up the tear that had rolled down Danny’s cheek, unbidden. With reverence, Ailani touched the tip of his finger to his own lips then tried to smile. <br/>“Aloha, Daniel. Daniel my Aloha’ia.”<br/>“I won’t ever forget you,” Danny whispered, feeling the tears coming faster now. He watched as his Warrior faded into the shadows until he and Steve were alone.</p>
<p>“That sword, Steve, was his.” Danny stood up, ignoring the twinge in his right knee, and extended his hand for Steve. “Come on. We gotta call this in and find that other dude.”<br/>“Yeah,” Steve muttered, getting up and trying to shake off the effects of being shocked. <br/>“I have a little return gift for him.”<br/>“I’m not sure where he went after Von Affel attacked us but I bet he doesn’t know that you and me, Babe, defeated the Vampire.”  Danny gave the moldering pile a disdainful kick with his foot. <br/>“Time to call back Keller and wrap this up,” Steve said wearily.<br/>“The sooner the fucking better.”</p>
<p>The briefing was long and involved, and even after Steve and Danny showed Keller and his cohorts the pile of ash that was once Von Affel, the men remained unconvinced. After the fifth or so time trying to explain the events of the night, Danny just gave up and waved his hand, anger building behind his words.<br/>“If you don’t believe us then that’s your problem. You have Springs in custody; ask him who or what Von Affel is. And by the way, you’re welcome to finding your damn sword and solving the mystery of who killed those dealers.” </p>
<p>“Detective Williams—“ Keller began.<br/>“—no. You don’t get one more minute of our time here. We— Steve and me—“ with a pointed finger whirling in the air, Danny indicated himself and Steve who was sitting on one of the chairs rubbing the back of his neck where he’d been tasered, “we are going back to the house, showering and packing. Oh and sometime in there I’m gonna get a fucking beignet because I haven’t had one!”</p>
<p>With that, Danny started for the door to the office they had been sequestered in since coming from the house.  Steve shrugged and followed the angry blonde, not trying to hide the lopsided grin on his own face. An angry Danny got things done.<br/>“I’ll need to see a report!” Keller called after them to which Danny just waved a dismissive hand. </p>
<p>Steve and Danny walked to the parking lot where they had stowed their rental and got in, silently. Danny’s face was sending a ‘don’t mess with me’ message while Steve was just too damn tired to do or say anything. <br/>“You serious? About the beignets?” Steve asked before he put the key into the ignition.<br/>“Steven. Have you ever known me to turn down sweets?”<br/>Steve chuckled and shook his head. “No.”<br/>“Well then. Let’s get some.”</p>
<p>An hour later and a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, beignets and strong dark coffee that Danny had pronounced almost better than Kona, Steve and he stumbled into the house, grateful for the cold blast of AC. There was yellow crime scene tape around the kitchen and the area where the pile of ash had been but otherwise things were normal. <br/>“I want to go home, Steve,” Danny said. He was bone weary but resolute.<br/>“I’ll call for tickets and we can grab a quick shower before we go.” Steve pulled his phone out from his pocket. <br/>“Sounds like a plan.” Danny headed towards the bathroom, grateful for so many things but especially happy to have come out of this whole thing in one piece.  A hot shower would feel marvelous. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steve grabbed the towel from the back of the Adirondack chair next to the water’s edge and started to dry off from his morning swim. As he loped up the slight incline from the beach to the house, he was surprised to see Danny there, dressed in a ridiculous shirt and tie but looking like a model nonetheless. Steve swallowed hard. <br/>“What’s up, partner?” Steve asked easily. He rubbed his hair with the towel and then wrapped it around his neck, relishing the softness of the worn weaves in the material.<br/>“You eat yet? No, let me answer that. You have not. You’re too busy being Michael Phelps in the ocean.”</p>
<p>“Danny Danny Danny,” Steve sighed wearily. “Did you come here just to pick on me?”<br/>“No you putz! I brought us breakfast!” Danny sputtered indignantly.<br/>Steve gazed at the blonde fondly. Danny was off on a tangent, hands now getting involved as he spoke about the lines at the bakery and the apparent hardships he encountered trying to procure breakfast.<br/>There was only one thing to do.</p>
<p>Steve moved in quickly, dodging the hands and arms and grasping the smaller man around his waist. With a sudden move of his head, Steve ducked down and captured those wet lips against his own and kissed... really kissed... Danny. It was intoxicating, the very nearness of the smaller man; his smell, of hair product, dryer sheets, and light cologne made Steve’s head spin. Those lips, soft and slightly chapped, opened to give Steve purchase with the kiss and Steve explored that mouth that never stopped moving but it was toothpaste and mint and essence of Danny<br/>It made Steve ache with indescribable pleasure.</p>
<p>Reluctantly Steve pulled away. Danny was panting slightly, hands clutching the ends of the towel around Steve’s neck. He looked up, crystal blue eyes now blown wide open. He was simply beautiful.<br/>“You are ... my Aloha’ia,” Steve whispered, stroking Danny’s face, feeling the stubble under his fingers. Danny turned his head and kissed Steve’s fingers.<br/>“Steve... Steve I... Steve I just want to say...” Danny began hesitantly then stopped, looking unsure.<br/>“We’d best tuck into that breakfast before it gets cold,” Steve said, tweaking Danny’s ear playfully.<br/>“You’re always hungry,” Danny groused, following Steve towards the lanai. “Like I dunno an animal.”<br/>“I’m not an animal, Danny,” Steve laughed suddenly feeling like he could, indeed, sprint a hundred miles per hour if he needed to. <br/>“Neanderthal,” Danny muttered. He slid the door open and stepped aside so Steve could go in first. “And do your Army shower will ya? Stuff is getting cold.”<br/>“Navy, Danny. It’s Navy not army.” As Steve went by the dining room table where Danny had prepared the spread, he grabbed a strip of bacon and shoved it in his mouth narrowly missing the slap to his butt that Danny was trying to administer. </p>
<p>It wasn’t what Steve had planned but it had happened and being in love with Danny Williams made the every day events special. With one last look at Danny, who was grinning fondly, Steve took the stairs two at a time, eager to start the day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!! It’s been a pleasure writing this.<br/>My next will be an AU with Steve and Danny. Hope you catch that one as well. Xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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